Stay My Baby
by LeytonLoVe123
Summary: This is a new idea I just came up with. AU. Peyton's on her way to some remote town in a distant state, for the whole summer. At first she was hating it, but since her boyfriend cheated on her-with her best friend-it doesn't seem like such a bad idea.
1. Chapter 1

"You're really sending me to Tree Hill for the summer? What's there to do in Tree Hill?" Peyton once again pleaded with her father. She was leaving in two days to go stay with her grandmother because her father was going to be out on a job for most of the summer. "I've stayed alone before. Why is it so different this time? I mean, I'm going to be a senior, I'm almost 18. I think I'm mature enough to stay alone. Besides, I can always go to Brooke's house if I need to," she brought the same arguements, hoping that this time her dad would listen to reason.

Larry rolled his eyes. "Peyton, we're not going to keep going over this. You're going and that's final," he said sternly, and Peyton knew he was becoming impatient with her constant arguements. With a sigh he lowered his voice. "Listen, Peyton, it's been a long timesince you've gone to see your grandmother and she treally wants to spend some time with you. She might now be here much longer and then you'll regret not seeing her more," he added in an admonishing tone.

Peyton's eye roll matched her fathers. She hopped off the counter where she had been perched, pulling out her cell phone. "I can see I'm getting nowhere. I'm going to go out for a little bit. I need a break from packing," she began typing out a text message as she started to walk out of the kitchen. Her dad called her name and she looked back at him, one eyebrow raised. He pointed to his cheek and she rolled her eyes again before walking back over to him and giving him a peck on the cheek. "Love you, Daddy," she called as she started for the front door once more.

She barely heard him call back, "Pull your skirt down," before she had slammed the front door behind herself. She looked down at her plaid mini-skirt. It was riding up a little, so she pulled it down about half an inch. It went with her black Beetles tank top and her leather jacket. She bent down to make sure her black Doc Martens were tied tight enough as she waited for Jake to text her back.

He did and she jumped into her black Comet to go meet up with her friends. They were all at the river a few miles away from town, where they usually hung out. Not only was Jake there, but so was her best friend, Brooke, Brooke's current boyfriend, and a few dozen other people, including Rachel. Peyton had been friends with Rachel once, but things had changed. They had grown apart and she and Brooke and grown closer and now Rachel and Peyton weren't exactly enemies, but they didn't talk anymore. They generally just avoided each other.

Peyton walked over to Jake and dropped herself right in his lap, dropping a few kisses on his neck once she was settled. "I'm gonna miss you so much," she whispered into his ear before giving it a light nip. Jake's arms tightened around her waist. She gave him a few more teasing kisses, on his neck, ears, nose, and cheeks, everywhere except his mouth. Finally Jake reached up and moved her head so he could meet her lips with his.

Peyton had wrapped her arms around his neck and was sighing contentedly as his lips trailed from her mouth, down her jaw and finally landing on her neck. She had just twisted around so he could reach her neck better when Brooke came up behind them. "P. Sawyer, when did you get here?" she asked, her voice loud so she could be heard over the music. By the way Brooke was slurring her words Peyton could tell she had already had too much to drink. She wondered where Brooke's boyfriend was and briefly considered ignoring Brooke because of Jake's lips and teeth on her neck.

Then she remembered all the times Brooke had been there for her and she reluctantly pulled away. "Sorry," she muttered to Jake as she got off her lap. It was right in time, too, because just as she turned to face Brooke, Brooke tripped and fell into Peyton's arms. Peyton nearly gagged at the smeel of alcohol on her friend's breath. "God, Brooke, how much did you drink? And where's Chase, shouldn't he be the one taking car of you?" she asked, her eyes sweeping the area. She suddenly realized that Chase wasn't around.

Brooke pulled back a little, and stumbled as she tried to catch her balance. Peyton held tight to her arm to keep her on her feet. "Me and Chase are done," she said quietly, slurring just a bit less. Then she remembered the drink in her hand and tried to bring it up to her lips. It had made it almost all the way before Peyton snatched it out of her hands. "Hey, gimme that," she whinned, reaching for the cup.

Peyton sniffed the cup. "Brooke, you're drinking straight Vodka. No wonder you're so shit-faced. We need to get you home," she said, tossing out the alcohol. She looked to Jake. "I'm sorry babe, I'll hang out with you tomorrow, I promise. I need to get her somewhere to sober up," she said in an apoloetic tone, trying to speak not only over the music, but over Brooke's whining too. She didn't want to leave him, but her friend needed her.

Jake stood up, draining his beer. "No, it's okay, really. We can take her to my place, my folks are gone this weekend. She can sober up there and we can still spend some time together," he suggested. He didn't wait for her response, he just grabbed Brooke's arm and started leading her to Peyton's Comet. "You should drive, I've been drinking too. We can pick up my car tomorrow or something," he added as they made their way to the car, Peyton and Jake holding Brooke up.

Peyton drove to Jake's house. A part of her knew what he wanted to do. She wanted it to, God did she want it, but something kept stopping her lately. She knew what was wrong, she just wished it would stop her mind and just let go again. She was glad he was so understanding. Many boyfriends would have left her by now, or started cheating, but she knew he was faithful.

She pulled out her cell phone once they reached the house. "Hey Dad, I'm staying at Brooke's house. Just wanted to let you know. See you later, love you," the answering machine had picked up and she left a message, thankful she didn't haev to lie directly to her dad. Jake had already got Brooke, who had passed out, into the house. So she locked up the car and followed the two. She found Jake in the living room, covering Brooke, who he had laid on the couch, with a blanket.

Jake glanced up at her. Peyton offered him a small smile before going into the kitchen. She poured a glass of water and grabbed a bottle of aspirin. She left the water and aspirin on the coffee table next to Brooke and then took Jake's hand, leading him to his bedroom. Sheleft the hall light on so Brooke would be able to find her way to the bathroom whenever she got up to puke.

When they made it to the bedroom Peyton looked at him. He didn't say anything, just went to his dresser. He pulled out a big tee-shirt and a pair of boxers for her to sleep in and a pair of pajama pants for him to sleep in. As he began taking of his shirt, Peyton bit her lip. She looked down at the clothing. Ever since it had happened she hadn't liked changing in front of anybody, not even Brooke, really. She slipped out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to change.

When she re-entered the room, he was already in his bed. She pulled back the covers on the right side and climbed in next to him. She scooted close to him, resting her head on his chest. He took one his her hands tenderly in his, using his free hand to carefully play with her hair. She loved how gentle he was. She lifted her head to give him a chaste kiss.

Jake quickly deepened the kiss, and Peyton got lost in it. He moved so he was partially on top of her, his hands reaching up under the shirt. It happed quickly. One second Peyton was kissing him back, her fingers playing in her hair, the next second she felt like he was crushing her as the memories washed over her. She quickly pushed him off with a cry of, "No!"

Her breathing had quickened and she fought to calm it down, to force the memories away. As she was taking her dep breaths she realized she had pushed Jake onto the floor. He stood up and sat down on the bed next to her. Once she had her grip on reality back she apologized. He tried to act as if it was no big deal and she loved him for it. "No, Jake, I really am sorry. I mean, not many guys would put up with this, with me," she said, snaking her fingers through his and giving them a squeeze.

Jake sighed, pulling his hand back and running his fingers through his hair. "I just wish you'd get over it already. I mean, it's been over a month, Peyton, and you're still freaking out. I can't even touch my own girlfriend because she freaks out on me every time I try," he said, his frustration leaking into his voice.

Peyton stood up, building up her walls. "I didn't know I was such a burden to you. If you feel that way I'll leave," she was hurt. She had thought he was different. She gathered her clothes and ran out of the room before the tears could fall, not even waiting for him to say anything else. She threw her clothes into the passenger seat and started her car, pealing out of the driveway as the tears blurred her vision. She couldn't even see if he had followed her or not.

She drove for a while, but she didn't want to go home. She went back to the river. She didn't see anyone, so she got out and sat on the river's edge, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them so she could stare out at the water. A few minutes later she felt a presence sitting next to her. She looked over and was surprised to see Rachel. She expected a biting remark, and was surprised when she saw the look on Rachel's face.

Rachel had seen Peyton pull up, the tears in her eyes. Normally she would find some insult to throw at her, but she had seen the broken look in Peyton's eyes and she was reminded of the friendship they had once shared. She wasn't sure what compelled her to go and sit next to Peyton, but she knew that what Peyton needed right now was a friend, and they had been that, once. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Peyton wasn't sure what was going on-Was Rachel trying to mess with her mind?-but somehow she sensed Rachel was sincere. She also really needed someone to talk to, and Brooke was indisposed at the moment. She briefly explained the situation. "It's just,I thought he was different, you know," she finished, her voice breaking.

Rachel opened her arms and let Peyton lean into her for a much needed embrace. "Listen, Peyton, you may not want to hear this, but you might be overreacting just a little bit. I mean, he is a guy, all guys would get a little frustrated in this situation. You're actually kind of lucky he is upset," Peyton looked up at Rachel, her eyebrows raised. "Yes, well, if he weren't at least a little upset that would mean he was getting it from someone else," she reasoned.

Peyton thought about that for a minute. She was surprised to find that Rachel was actually making sense. She smiled. "Thanks, Rach, I think you may be right. I guess I need to go talk to him then," she said as she stood. She was about to leave when she heard Rachel speak up again, but she didn't quite hear the words. "What was that?" she asked, turning to face Rachel again.

Rachel turned to look up at Peyton as she repeated the question. "What happened to us, Peyton? We used to be such good friends, then Brooke came along and all of a sudden we hate each other. What happened?" she asked.

Peyton's eyes softened. She shrugged. "I really don't have an answer for that. I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, it just did," she was about to leave, when she turned to face Rachel again. "Just so you know, I never hated you. I didn't understand why you all of a sudden hated me, but I never, ever hated you," she said softly before turning and leaving.

Rachel stared after her. "I never hated you either," she whispered, thinking Peyton couldn't hear her. Peyton did hear, but pretended she didn't as she got into her Comet. She drive right back to Jake's house. She walked right in without bothering to knock. She heard noises coming from the living room. She slowly walked in,a feeling of dread in her stomach. Somehow she knew what was coming, but she had to see it to believe it. She didn't want to believe it. Part of her wanted to turn and run in the other direction.

She bracedherself as she walked into the living room. Her insides disappeared as she readlized what she was seeing. Her boyfriend, with her best friend. "I thought you were different," she muttered before turning and running, back out of the house and into her car. They had both heard her, though, and she saw Jake in her rear view mirror as she left.

This time Peyton did go home. Jake hadn't been able to follow her because his car was at the river, along with Brooke's. Peyton quietly sneaked into the house and into her room, collapsing onto her bed, silent sobs wracking her body. She realized she was still wearing his clothes and she smelled like him. She pulled the blankets up over her, buried her face into the pillow and kept sobbing, until she was finally able to drift into a deep sleep.

A/N: So, here's an idea that just came to me. I will soon be writing the sequel for Can't Stop Destiny, but I want to do some other stuff first. Tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. 


	2. Chapter 2

Peyton woke up the next morning to the sound of her phone ringing. She could smell her dad cooking downstairs. She felt around for her phone and flipped it open without checking to see who was calling. "Hello," she muttered, her voice husky from just waking up, and crying herself to sleep. She ran a hand through her curls and tried to wake herself up.

She suddenly realized that it could be either Jake or Brooke, and she wished she had checked the caller ID. She tensed as she waited for the person on the other end to speak. "Peyton, where are you?" She sighed. It was her dad. Her shoulders sagged in relief. She mumbled something to him about being there in a minute and snapped her phone shut.

She tossed the covers aside, an idea forming in her mind. She took of the clothing of Jakes and pulled on a pair of her own pajamas. Then she pulled her hair back with an elastic and started gathering everything of Jake's that she had. She looked over her room carefully, even looking through the suitcases she had already packed, to make sure she had it all. She packed it all in a big black plastic garbage bag.

When she had it all in the bag she drug the bag down the stairs, leaving it near the doorway. Her father came out of the kitchen, looking at her curiously. Peyton shook her head dismissively at his questions. She couldn't answer them right now, she still had stuff to do. She grabbed another garbage bag and went back up to her room, this time gathering all of Brooke's stuff.

She left that bag by the door too and, satisfied, went into the kitchen. "Is there any way I could leave today?" she asked as she hopped up onto the kitchen counter, leaning her back aganst the cabinets. She was mentally and emotionally exausted. While yesterday she had wanted nothing more than to stay all summer, now she couldn't wait to be gone.

Larry looked at his daughter questioningly. He knew something was wrong, but he didn't want to push it. He knew that when pushed, all Peyton did was run. He knew that she would tell him, eventually, if she wanted him to know. He took another sip of his coffee. "Nope, sorry kiddo, the plane ticket is not interchangable," he answered, then gestured to the table. "You should eat, I'm sure either Brooke or Jake want to spend some time with you today," he was trying to get a feel of what the problem was.

Peyton closed her eyes at the comment, but he wasn't sure if it was a problem with Brooke or Jake, and she gave no other signs. She nodded before opening her eyes and sliding off the counter. She took a seat at the kitchen table and made herself a plate, but only had a chance to pick at it befrore there was a horn honking outside.

She paused, her fork halfway to her mouth, and shut her eyes, readying herself. Then she put the fork down, opened her eyes and got up, a firm resolution in her demeanor. A quick glance out the window told her that it was Jake outside. She made sure she had the right bag before dragging it outside. He started talking as soon as the door opened, but she ignored his words and threw the bag at him. "There's your stuff, all of it. I'm not asking for anything of mine back, I just want you and your stuff gone," she said.

The bag hit him in the chest. He grabbed it on impulse and stumbled back a few steps as he tried to keep his balance. he looked down at the bag before setting it down and cautiously approaching her. "Peyton, I'm sorry, okay. For what it's worth, and I know it's not worth much, I'm sorry," he said. He reached out to her, trying to touch her cheek.

Peyton jerked her head back and took a step away from him. She was shaking her head slowly. "No, Jake it doesn't work like that. You're right. 'I'm sorry' doesn't ean anything. This is too big for 'I'm sorry.' You can't just sleep with my best friend and then expect to get off the hook with an 'I'm sorry.'" she paused as the spark of anger left her. All she felt now was betrayal. "Just go. Please, just go," she added softly, turning around so she could go back inside.

Jake watched her walking away. "So this is it, then? The end of us? After all we've been through, I don't get a second chance?" he called to her back.

Jake saw the muscles in her back tense up as she stopped walking. She turned to face him again, a sad look on her face, the hurt visible in her eyes. She nodded slowly. "Yeah, this is it. You slept with my best friend, Jake, after we had just had a fight. You know all I've been through, and just because you have to wait a little while you go to my best friend," she took a deep breath and willed away the hurt. She started building up her walls so he wouldn't be able to tell what she was feeling. "I was coming back to your house to apologise. Yeah, I know I was wrong to freak out on you like that. It's not that easy for me either, you know. So I was going to apologize and what do I find. You, with my best friend. So I'm sorry if I can't forgive that. It's just too much for me to forgive," she said.

Jake had nothing else to say as she turned and stormed into the house. She went upstairs to her room and after closing the door, Peyton leaned against it and slid down until she was sitting on the floor, her knees up next to her chest. She buried her face into her knees as she started crying. It was harder for her than he knew to just end it all. She just couldn't forgive him if all the effort he made was to say, 'I'm sorry,' though. She had to know she meant more to him than that.

She let herself cry for a long time, telling herself that these would be the last tears she shed over him. When she had no more tears left she stood and put on one of her favorite records. Then she just lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling and letting the music flow through her. Some time in the afternoon there was a knock on the door. Assuming it was her dad, she mumbled, "Come in."

The door slowly opened, but no one said anything. Instinctively, Peyton knew who it was. She didn't glance over at the door, but she got up and faced her back tot he door, pretending to look through her records. "What do you want?" she asked when it became obvious that Brooke was't speaking first. "You're stuff is downstairs by the door," she added casually.

All of a sudden Brooke was sobbing loudly. Peyton turned toward the noise, and saw Brooke sitting on her bed, bawling her eyes out, mascara running down her cheeks. "Peyton, I'm so so sorry. I really am, and I know that doesn't mean anything, but I didn't mean to do anything with Jake last night. I promise ytou, I would never intentionally hurt you like that.I have to tell you the truth, though, the whole story," she said.

Peyton gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed. She had no idea what Brooke was talking about and decided it would be best to just listen for now. When it was clear Peyton' wasn't going to make any other movements, Brooke went on. "Chase didn't break up with me. I broke up with him. Peyton, I broke up with him because I'm in love with someone else. I never thought I would be with that person, though, so I just kept drinking last night. I had drink after drink, and I was mixing my alcohol, too. I don't even remember seeing you at all last night, most of it was blacked out. Anyway, the next thing I remember I was on Jake's couch, and he was leaning over me, and, I've had that fantasy so many times, I didn't know it was real," she spoke through the tears.

Peyton jumped up, realizing what Brooke meant. "No. No. No, no, no. I refuse to believe it. Brooke, please tell me that you're not telling me that you're in love with my boyfriend. My now ex-boyfriend. My best friend just can't be telling me that," Peyton muttered, not exactly talking to Brooke, she was trying to convince herself.

Brooke stood up, too, but she didn't move any closer to Peyton. "I didn't mean to. You have to believe that. I may have loved him, but I would never have slept with him if I hadn't been drunk. I seriously thought it wasn't real. Until I you showed up. Then I knew it was real, and I left. I don't know why it happened, or what happened to you guys, but I seriously was going to put aside my feelings, because he's your boyfriend," she cried.

Peyton had stopped muttering and was looking at Brooke sharply. "Was," she corrected. Brooke looked at her, confused. "He was my boyfriend. Just like you were my best friend. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to take your things and leave," she continued. Brooke opened her mouth to start speaking again. A tear slipped down Peyton's cheek and she turned to hide it from Brooke. "Look, I just need time to think, okay? I mean, I just found out my best friend is in love with the guy I was with for two years. It takes a little getting used to," she continued, her eyes on her records again and her back to Brooke.

There was silence for a few minutes. Then Peyton heard the door shut and she knew she was alone. She put another record in and lay back on her bed, feeling empty at the loss of her best friend and her boyfriend. She knew she might forvgive Brooke eventually; you can't really help who you fall in love with. She knew she wouldn't forgive Jake, though. She had trusted him with her heart, and he had broken that trust. There would be no returning to the way things had been. Even if she did forgive Brooke, things would never get back to the way things were. It was the same thing with Rachel. If they ever managed to become friends again, they still wouldn't have the friendship they had once shared.

She knew she had to move forward, though. She couldn't spend all summer stuck in what had happened. She was going to use the summer in Tree Hill-away from everyone-togrow. It would give her a chance to meet new people, and just forget about who she was at home. She might even have a summer fling. All she knew was that she had to leave all the drama that had just happened at home. She could be whoever she wanted in Tree Hill, and she was going to use that to her advantage.

A/N: So, here's chapter two. Let me know what you think. Thank you all for all the lovely reviews. I'll try to post chapter three within the next couple days. By the way, did you all see the season six premire? Wasn't it amazing?!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with One Tree Hill. 


	3. Chapter 3

Peyton woke up to find her father standing over her, shaking her shoulders. "It's time to get up, honey. You've got a plane catch this morning," he said as he held out a cup of coffee as a peace offering. She groaned and tried to pull the blankets up over her head. "Come on, sweetie, you need to get up and get ready, then we'll eat breakfast and go," he persisted. Peyton growled as she glanced over at the clock. The red numbers glared, 4:58. Her plane left at 6:30.

She begrudgingly took the coffee cup as she threw the blankets aside and sat up. Larry left the room without saying anything else as she drank her coffee. He knew she wouldn't be fully awake until after she had taken a shower and drank the right amount of coffee. She was in no way a morning person.

Peyton drank half of the coffee before grabbing the clothes she had left out the night before and heading for the bathroom. She could smell her dad cooking breakfast in the kitchen. After a cold shower to wake her up Peyton pulled on her clothes and used a blow dryer on her hair. She didn't bother with her make-up or do anything special with her hair because she knew there would be no point. Anything she did would just get ruined on the plane anyway.

After she finished in the bathroom she went back into her bedroom, making sure she had everything. Her three suitcases were already downstairs. So she grabbed her carry-on, making sure her drawing pad and IPod were in it before going downstairs to the kitchen. Larry was just sitting down to eat when Peyton came into the room. She dropped her carry-on bag next to her chair and made herself a plate before sitting down.

She was kind of mad at her dad still for sending her away, so she didn't talk as she started eating. Larry knew Peyton was still mad at him, so she set down his fork and looked across the table at his daughter. "Peyton, it's not that I don't want you here this summer. I do, but you have to realize, I'm going to be gone most of the time. You haven't been out to Tree Hill since we moved here. Your grandmother really wants to see you. She asked if you could come out there and I thought it might be a good idea. Avoiding the place does not make it go away, Peyton," he said calmly. "Please don't hate me for this. If you really don't want to go, tell me now, and you can stay. We'll figure something out to tell your grandmother," he added.

Peyton bit her lower lip as she thought about it. She realized she was being unfair to her dad. She knew it wasn't that he didn't want her there; a part of her just really didn't want to go back to Tree Hill again. She had to face her demons sometime, though, right? She smiled reassuringly over at her father. With a deep breath, she said, "I don't hate you, Dad. I guess you're right, I should go. It's just been so long. I guess I've been avoiding the place because it was the last place I saw Mom alive, and I can't keep avoiding it. Eventually I've just got to face my fears."

Larry nodded and they continued eating in silence. Now the silence was not a forced one, though. They were each lost in thought about Peyton's mom. It still hurt Peyton to think about her, even though it had been eight years. She knew it wasn't the town's fault her mother had died. The place just held a lot of memories, good and bad.

Eventually Larry finished with his plate and looked at his watch. He stood up and picked up his plate. "We've got to go. Could you go load up the bags and I'll clean up the kitchen," he said as he took her plate also. "My keys are on the coffee table," he added. Peyton grabbed her carry-on as she headed for the living room. She saw her keys on the table next to her fathers. After a moments pause she grabbed a set of keys and headed for the front door.

She lugged her suitcases outside and loaded them up into her Comet. When Larry came outside she was closing the trunk of her car. He stood on the porch, studying her. "I thought we were taking my car," he said. His tone of voice wasn't admonishing, but curious.

Peyton shrugged and bit her lip. "Well, I mean, I won't be able to drive my car all summer. I know you don't like my car, but I'm going to miss it, so could we please take it. I'll drive," she offered in explanation. She was really going to miss her car all summer, perhaps more than anything else, now.

Larry studied his daughter for a minute before nodding. "Yeah sure, we'll take your car to the airport. No problem sweetie," he said finally. Peyton grinned and jumped into the front seat. She waited for her dad to get into the car before taking off. She loved the feel of her car and was not looking forward to driving something else all summer. She left the top down, relishing the feel while she had the chance. She was glad it was a long drive to the airport. She was also glad that she had decided not to do her hair earlier. Anything she had done would have been ruined by the wind already.

Larry watched his daughter as she drove. He could tell she really liked driving the car. "Hey, Peyton, I have about a week before I have to go out to sea again. It's about a two to three day drive to Tree Hill," he paused and Peyton glanced over at him curiously, wondering what he was getting at. "I mean, maybe I could drive your car to Tree Hill and then fly back here in time to go to work," he finished.

Peyton looked over at her dad, not willing to believe it. She was surprised he would make that offer. When she realized he was serious she broke into a genuine grin. "Really? You'd really do that? That would be awesome. I really don't want to have to drive another car all summer," she said excitedly. Larry didn't really want to drive her car all the way to Tree Hill, but after seeing the excitement in his daughter's eyes he couldn't retract the offer. He would just have to figure something out. He nodded as she turned back to face the road.

A few minutes later they were at the airport. They reached the point where Larry had to say bye so Peyton could get on the plane. Peyton jumped into his arms, giving him a tight hug. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said.

Larry held tight. "I'm going to miss you too. You call me when you get there. Are you sure you didn't forget anything?" he asked. Now that it was actually time for her to leave, he didn't want to let her go. He would prefer to just call the whole thing off.

Peyton pulled away as the final boarding call for her flight was called. "I've got everything, Dad. Anything I've forgotten, though, I'll let you know and you can bring it when you bring me my car," she said excitedly. She gave her dad one last hug before turning and getting on the plane. She gave her ticket to the flight attendant and just as she was about to walk through the doorway she turned back. "I love you," she called.

Larry said the words back to his daughter and then watched as she got onto the plane. He stood there until the plane took off. As he walked back to her Comet he wondered if there would be a way that he didn't have to drive the car to Tree Hill.

Peyton sat in her seat next to the window and looked out at the scenery as they took off. She hadn't been on a plane many times, but she had always liked it. She remembered the last time she had been on a plane, with Jake. It was during a class trip last year. Peyton remembered she had worked all the previous summer so she would get to go. Jake had come to see her every day.

She took a deep breath as she remembered the most recent time she had seen Jake. She tried to force him out of her mind, because it hurt too much to think about him, but that wasn't really working for her. She decided to do what she did best in times of heartache.

Peyton took her sketchpad and pencils out of her carry-on and she drew. She decided that after the flight she was going to waste no more paper on Jake, on what had been, but she was going to use the plane ride to get the last of him out of her system. She put the earbuds in her ears, turned her IPod on, and let the music flow through her and out the pencil, onto the paper. She was really surprised when the flight attendant tapped her shoulder and told her that they would be landing shortly. She didn't have much of a sense of time when she was drawing.

Peyton put her stuff away and got ready to get off the plane. She realized she had skipped the lunch that the plane had provided. She decided that wasn't that big of a deal anyway. Airplane food isn't always the best. She followed the other people off of the plane and looked around for her grandmother.

Instead, Peyton saw a blonde male of about her age, holding a cardboard sigh that said her name. She cautiously approached him. Before she had a chance to say anything he started speaking. "Peyton Sawyer. I'd recognise those curls anywhere, and those green eyes. You look exactly the same, just as beautiful as you used to be," he said with a smirk that Peyton found gorgeous.

Peyton knew that she knew him, she just couldn't place where. It was obvious that she had known him when she had lived in Tree Hill before. She just couldn't remember how well she had known him, or what his name was, or almost anything about him. She smiled hesitantly at him. Her cut her off again before she could speak. "How much luggage do you have?" he asked.

Peyton was still trying to figure this mysterious stranger out. He had gorgeous blue eyes and from the looks of his build, he was athletic, but not too much so. She realized he was looking at her expectantly and tried to remember the question. "Oh, I have three suitcases," she said. He started leading the way to the luggage rack and Peyton followed, watching him as he walked.

After a few paces he turned and offered to take her carry-on for her. She politely declined the offer, trying not to stare into those clear blue eyes. When they located her suitcases he grabbed all three, even though Peyton protested, saying shewasn't some weakling, and could carry a suitcase. "Blondie, I know perfectly well how strong you are, or at least, how strong you used to be. Can you just let me be a gentleman for once? It's not like I was much of a gentleman as a child," he said with a laugh.

It suddenly hit Peyton, and she remembered who he was. She really couldn't believe that he was still here, though. If she was right in her assumption, she had been best friends with him when she had lived in Tree Hill. He had been her first crush, before she had even known what a crush was. He had been her first kiss, too, though her dad had walked in a freaked out. When her mom had gotten home from work that day Larry had Peyton sitting on the opposite end of the couch from this guy, and he had been giving the two children a stern lecture. When Anna had heard the whole story, she had just laughed and told the children that they were too young to be doing that.

Peyton surpressed a laugh at the memory. They had had some pretty good times, if this was that boy. He looked so different, grown up. She couldn't believe the little boy she had known had grown into this. Was it possible? She needed to figure out his name, without asking it.

Peyton looked up at him as they reached his truck and he tossed the suitcases and carry-on into the truck bed. Looking into those eyes, she still wasn't sure, but she felt too embarassed to ask him any questions. She offered him a small smile and got into the passenger seat when he opened the door for her. She didn't even protest that she could open up her own door, as she would have with anyone else.

They drove in silence for a little bit, with Peyton staring out the window. Eventually Peyton got tired of the scenery. Tree Hill hadn't really changed all that much. She turned to look at him. He stopped at a red light and glanced over at her. "So, why didn't my grandmother come?" she asked, "And why did she send you in her place?" she added, not trying to sound mean.

He started driving again when the light changed green, his eyes on the road again. "Well, to be honest with you, I asked her if I could go. I've been helping her around her house recently and when I heard you were coming I really didn't believe it. I guess I just had to see it to believe it," he said in a teasing tone reaching out to gently shove her arm.

Something about his teasing tone told her exactly what she needed to know about his identity. She just knew she was looking into the blue eyes of her childhood crush, Lucas Scott. Something about that reealization, and the blue eyes, took her breath away.

**A/N: **_Oh my gosh, I am soo sorry about the wait. I've just been really busy. I've been getting a lot of homework, and I was having internet problems and stuff. I promise to have the next chapter up a little sooner. What do you all think so far? Oh, and I just want to say thanks for all the reviews I've gotton so far, and keep them coming! Sorry again about the wait._

**Disclaimer: **_Still don't own One Tree Hill, but I'm loving the new season. The CW does a lot better job than I would._


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas glanced at Peyton occasionally. He was beginning to wonder if she had heard him. She swallowed loudly just as he was about to repeat what he had said. "Oh, um, well, yeah, I'm here," she finally stammered. Lucas thought it was odd she was stammering, and he was about to ask her if she was okay when she cleared her throat and continued. "What I mean is, I thought it was about time to come visit," she added with a smile.

Lucas smiled back at her in between glances at the road. No matter the reason, he was glad to see her. Still, he wasn't sure just how well she remembered him, or if she even wanted to remember him, so he just nodded. Before he had a chance to think of something else to saw, he had to pull the truck to a stop at Peyton's grandmothers house. They both got out of the truck and Peyton hurried around to the back of the truck to grab her carry-on and one of her suitcases.

Lucas grabbed the other two suitcases and followed her. He couldn't help but watch as she walked ahead of him. He only hoped she didn't notice as he tried and failed to tear his eyes away. Peyton did notice, but before she could speak, the front door opened and her grandmother walked out onto the porch. "Is that my granddaughter, in Tree Hill?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around Peyton.

Lucas could smell some good cooking coming from the kitchen. Peyton could too. When her grandmother let her go she arched her back as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath through her nose. She opened her eyes as she looked down at her grandmother again. "You're making lasagna," she took another deep breath. "With taco salad and garlic bread," she added. "Aw, you're making all my favorites," she picked up her bags from where she had dropped them when her grandmother had hugged her and walked into the house.

Lucas stared after her, his eyes wide in amazement. He looked over at Grace, Peyton's grandmother. "How did she do that?" he asked, awe laced through his voice. Grace followed Peyton into the house and Lucas followed the two. "I mean, I know it smells good, but how does she know exactly what you're making?" he added as he watched Peyton drop her bags in the living room and make her way into the kitchen.

Grace waited a few seconds. "Get that fork out of the oven, the lasagna won't be done for another hour," she called into the kitchen. They both heard Peyton grumble as the oven shut. A few seconds later Grace spoke again. "Stay out of the taco salad, too, or I won't make you're favorite desert," she called. The was the sound of fumbling and Peyton appeared in the entrance to the living room from the kitchen.

Lucas watched as Peyton looked at her grandmother, her green eyes lit up. "You're making chocolate pie, too?" she asked, licking her lips as she thought about it. Her grandmother made the best chocolate pie. "I've tried so many times, but I just can't seem to get it exactly right. It always tastes okay, but never as good as yours," she added.

Grace nodded, amused. "Of course not. I add a special touch to my pies. If you stick around all summer I just might teach you to make it at the end of summer," she paused. "Of course, if you invade my kitchen before dinner time, I just might stop making it. Maybe the secret will die with me after all," she admonished. Peyton's eyes widened and Grace chuckled and continued before Peyton could speak. "You're probably hungry from the plane ride, though. I guess you can have a little snak before dinner. I'll whip something up for you. You take you're stuff into your bedroom, the last one on the right, I trust you remember." She walked into the kitchen, not even bothering to wait for a reply.

Lucas looked at Peyton, who looked disgruntled at the idea of having to wait for dinner. She met his gaze and stood still for a moment. Lucas finally broke the eye contact and gestured to her bags. "You wanna show me where your room is, or are you going to make me stand here csrrying your suitcases all day. Not to say that I couldn't. It's just, your bags are pretty heavy. What do you have in here anyway?" he asked teasingly, smirking at her.

Peyton looked away as she shook herself out of her train of thought. She smiled sheepishly as she picked up her bags and led the way to the room. "Sorry, no you can set them down," she said as she walked down the hallway. She could feel his eyes on her again. Surprisingly, this didn't make her feel weird, as it usually did. Something about it being his eyes on her just made it all right. She still thought she'd have some fun with him.

Lucas watched as Peyton's hips wiggled as she walked. He felt kind of sleazy staring where he was, but he couldn't seem to tear his gaze away. He was mesmerized as her hips swayed from left to right. She opened the door to the bedroom and put her bags onto the floor, bending at the waist as she set them down. Lucas slowly dropped the bags as his eyes stayed focused on her as she fumbled with the bags. "You know, Mr. Scott, next time you plan on staring at someone's ass, you might want to make it a little less obvious," she said without looking at him.

Lucas moved his gaze up to look at her face as she straightened, brushing a curl out of her face as she smirked at him before brushing past him to leave the room. Just as she was walking by she paused. "Not that I mind, really. Just offering some advice in case I'm not the only one you stare at," she whispered, her breath hot on his ear.

He just stood there as Peyton left the room. He was too shocked to move, and he felt his cheeks reddening. After a few seconds he followed her and found her in the kitchen, sitting on the counter, talking to her grandmother. Grace looked over at Lucas. "Are you going to stay and eat?" she asked him from her post at the counter. She was mixing some tuna to make sandwishes.

Lucas looked at Peyton and then back at Grace. He shook his head. "As much as I would like to spend some time catching up with your granddaughter, I promised my mom that I'd come back and help her at the Cafe some after I dropped Peyton off," he answered with regret. He tried to keep his gaze off of Peyton, but he kept glancing over at her to find her eyes glued firmly on him.

Grace nodded as she mixed the tuna. "Well, you should come back for dinner. I need you to change a lightbulb upstairs, andI need some things from the store. There's a list on the coffe table," she lifted the spoon out of the bowl and pointed in the direction of the living room. "Could you take it and go to the store before you come back," she paused, thinking as she went back to stirring. "Oh, and my garbage cans need to be brought to the curb," she added.

Peyton looked from her grandmother to Lucas. "Grandma, I can do those things. I do know how to work around a house, you know," she said as Grace finished stirring the tuna. She hopped off of the counter to ger the bread out of the bread box for the sandwiches. Her eyes were on Lucas, wondering why he didn't seem to be confused that her grandmother was asking him to do these chores.

Both Lucas and Grace laughed and Peyton's eyes darted back and forth between the two as she set the bread on the counter. Lucas was the one to reply. "Were you just ignoring me earlier?" he asked. Peyton shot him a glance with one eyebrow raised. "As I said before, I've been working for your grandmother. Why would you do something that she's paying me to do? Even though I said she doesn't have to pay me," he added.

Peyton nodded and opened her mouth to speakd, but Lucas was already backing out of the kitchen. "I'll be back for dinner. 6:oo, right?" Grace nodded. "I'll see you ladies later," he said, knowing that he had to get out of there to meet Lindsey. He had said his mom, and he wasn't sure why, but he really had to meet his girlfriend, Lindsey. Right now, for some reason, he didn't want Peyton to know about her. He knew that she would find out eventually, probably soon, but not yet.

Lucas looked at his watch as he got into his truck and started the engine. It was only 3:00. He found himself wishing it was already 6:00 so he could spend more time with Peyton. He really hadn't gotten the chance to hang out with her as much as he would have liked. He wanted to find out how life had been treating her since he had last seen her. They had been so close as children, and he missed that. He had missed her. He tried to tell himself that was the only reason he wanted to spend more time with her.

Lucas was just pulling into a parking spot at the Cafe when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and, when he saw that it was Lindsey, flipped it open. "Hey, I'm here, where are you?" he asked after he had scanned the parking lot and saw that her car wasn't there. He turned off the car and unbuckled his seatbelt as he waited for her answer.

"Hey, babe, I'm sorry, but I can't make it. I got called in to work this afternoon and I need to get down to the office now," she said apologetically as Lucas got out of his car. Lindsey worked as an intern for an editing office in the next town. Usually she only worked on the weekends, but sometimes when they were having big issues they called her in to do something. She had been working there since her sophomore year, so she had just a bit more pull than an average intern. As a result, she was also needed more than an average intern. Her hours weren't supposed to increasefor the summer until the next week, but since they were already out of school, it wasn't that big of a problem, except when she had to ditch Lucas for work.

Lucas sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he should be feeling more exasperated with her, but for an odd reason he didn't. What he was actually thinking about was that he now had time to get to Grace's house a little earlier. He knew she was waiting for a response and he tried to think of the right thing to say. "That's fine, babe, I can't come between you and your job. Besides, you're good at it. We'll get together tomorrow or something. No big deal," he said.

Lindsey was on the freeway, already driving, so she had to get off the phone fast. "How'd I get such an amazing boyfriend?" she asked rhetorically. Lucas started to protest, thinking of his earlier thoughts of Peyton. "No, babe, it's true. You are so amazing and I am the luckiest girl in the world to have you. I love you, and I'll talk to you later, or tomorrow, okay? I have to go," she continued.

Lucas sighed again, but said the proper goodbyes. He shut his phone and slipped it into his pocket as he walked into the Cafe. He walked over to a booth in the corner and sat down, his thoughts on Peyton. He remembered all the times they had shared when she had lived in Tree Hill. When her mom had died, before she had moved away, she had turned to him for comfort. They had shared a lot of memories, good and bad. She had always had a special place in his heart. There was a time, about a year ago, when all he thought about was her, and if she had come back then, he could have seen a futre with her.

Now, though, he had Lindsey. He had been with Lindsey for almost six months now and things between them were great. He was in love wigth Lindsey, right? He couldn't be thinking of Peyton as anything more than a friend. Besides, he was sure Peyton probably had a boyfriend where she lived now. He hadn't even gotten a real chance to talk with her. He barely knew her anymore. He tried to convince himself of this as he sat at the booth.

Haley spotted her best friend and slid into the booth with him, even though she was supposed to be working a shift right now. The Cafe was pretty much empty so she figured she could take a break. Lucas hadn't noticed her yet. Haley genttly nudged his shin with the toe of her boot. "Hey, Broody, whatcha thinking about now?" she asked, wondering if he had really picked Peyton up from the airport today or if he had just been bluffing. "So, is she here?" she added before he could answer her first question.

Lucas broke out of his reverie as he realized Haley was sitting next to him. He tried to remember what she said, but he couldn't, so she repeated her queation. It took him a few seconds before it clicked in his head what she was talking about. "Oh, Peyton. Yeah, she's here. I'm going over to her grandmother's for dinner, but I will tell her you want to see her. I forgot earlier, but I promise to tell her later," he said.

Haley nodded and was about to ask him something else, but the door opened and some customers walked into the Cafe. "I've got to get back to work, but you give her my number, or something. I still can't believe Peyton Sawyer's back in town," she said as she got up, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts, again.

OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH

Rachel knocked on the front door of a house she hadn't been to in a while. She stood back and waited for it to open. Just as she was about to turn around and leave, it opened, and there was a man standing in the doorway. Rachel smiled. "Hey, Mr. Sawyer, is Peyton here? I kind of need to talk to her," she asked.

Larry studied her for a minute. He hadn't seen Rachel around the house in a really long time. The last he had heard, Peyton and Rachel weren't even friends anymore. He shook his head. "Sorry, Rachel, but she's not here. She's in Tree Hill, for the whole summer," he finally answered. He had never figured out what exactly happened between Peyton and Rachel. All he knew was that they were friends and then they just weren't.

Rachel thought for a minute, and when he was about to close the door, she looked up and stopped him. "Wait! I'm actually going to Tree Hill for the summer, too. My parents have a cabin near there, and that's where I feel like going. Anyway, could you give me her number, or address there or something. I'm supposed to be flying in a couple days, even though I'm scared to death of planes," Rachel realized she was rambling and stopped herself.

Larry studied Rachel for a moment, thinking. There was a plan forming in his mind. A plan that would get him out of driving the Comet and Rachel out of flying all at once. He had one question first. "How do you feel about Comets?"

A/N: Okay, so here's the next chapter. I don't think it took that long to write. For you Leyton fans, don't worry, they will be together eventually, but it might take a while. They have a few obsticles in their path right now, but Leyton always works out in the end. At least in my fics. Anyway, leave a review and tell me what you think, even if you hated it. Thanks to everyone who has already reviewed and, please, keep reviewing. Your feedback helps.

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of One Tree Hill. 


	5. Chapter 5

Peyton was on her bed, her headphones in her ears and her sketchbook in her lap when she looked up and s Lucas standing in the doorway. She put the sketchbook down on the bed so her drawing was facing the comforter and pulled the headphones out of her ears. "How long have you been there?" she asked as she sat up straighter, stretching her legs out in front of her.

Lucas had a smirk on his face. He was leaning against the door frame. Peyton had a feeling he had been there for a while. After a moment he cleared his throat. "Um, I've been here for about ten minutes. Your grandmother let me up. You seemed so into your drawing, I didn't want to disturb you," he said as he pushed off of the door frame and started walking toward her. "Can I see what you were drawing?" he asked

Peyton shook her head and instantly pulled the drawing close as she shut the sketchbook. She wasn't that private, but the drawing was about him, so she couldn't let him see it. She couldn't tell him that, though. "No, it's not done yet. I don't let anyone see my drawings until I'm finished with them," she said, thinking that sounded reasonable. Then, if he ever asked about it later, she could show him a different drawing, or something.

Lucas nodded and stopped about two feet away from her bed, his hands in his pockets. He didn't want to get too close in case she wanted him to stay away. "Do you have anything that I can see, then?" he asked. He remembered that Peyton had always loved to draw before. He also remembered that she was very good at it, though she was very modest about it.

Peyton thought about it. She usually let anyone see any of her drawings, but she wasn't sure she was ready to let him see them yet. She wasn't sure she was ready to let him back in yet. She wasn't sure she was ready to let anyone in. She slowly shook her head. "Maybe another time. I don't know, I'm just not ready yet. It's not you, it's just me. I know people say that all the time, but it's really true. I mean, it really is me. Gah, this isn't coming out right. What I mean is," she got cut off by Lucas's laughter.

Lucas started laughing at her rambling. He understood what she meant. He nodded and held up a hand to stop her rambling. "No, I'm not laughing at you, I promise," he said as he regained control of his laughter. He grew serious. "You're cute when you ramble," the words slipped from his lips before he could stop them. Peyton started blushing and looked down, biting her lip. "So, you still do that, huh?" he asked.

She looked up at him, curious. She still felt red from his compliment, and she hoped it didn't look that bad. She didn't know what he was talking about, though. "What do you mean?" she asked, and her bottom lip went right between her teeth again as soon as she finished talking. Lucas took a step closer and reached out, touching her cheek. Peyton didn't know what he was doing, but she just let him do it. Lucas's hand traced her jawline before landing on her chin. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb and then eased it out from between her teeth. He took his hand away and Peyton wished that he hadn't. His touch had felt nice, nothing like she felt when Jake touched her. After she regained her composure, she responded. "Oh, um, yeah, I don't even notice that I'm doing that sometimes," she said, referring to the lip biting, hoping she didn't sound like a breathless idiot.

Lucas backed up a step again, shuffling his feet nervously. He had felt it when he touched her, too. He didn't know what that was, but he wanted to touch her again. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, reminding himself that he had a girlfriend. He looked around the room, trying to distract his thoughts. Because it had been so long since she had been in the room, it looked almost exactly like it had the last time they had been in it, when they had said goodbye. Larry had already sold the house, so they had stayed at Grace's while Peyton finished the school year and Larry bought a new house, somewhere else. He remembered all the other times they had spent in this room. He wondered if she remembered all those times. Did she even want to remember those times?

Lucas realized that they had been silent for awhile and looked over at Peyton. She was glancing around her room, chewing on her lip again. She really didn't notice that she was doing it. It was out of habit. He cleared his throat and her gaze snapped to him. He shifted his weight a few times, meeting her gaze. He couldn't think of anything to say for a few seconds, because he was lost in her green-eyed gaze. Finally he asked, "So, what have you been up to since I last saw you?"

Peyton had been thinking about the times they had shared, in this very same room, as well as all over town. They had memories everywhere. She suddenly realized he was still standing and she pulled her knees back up to her chest. "Sit down, I don't bite, you know. At least, not hard," she added in a teasing tone with a laugh. As nervous as she was around him, she still felt that same ease, that she had once felt. It was nice to just be able to joke with someone. Once he had sat down at the foot of her bed she thought back to his question. "What I've been up to," she restated his question. "Not much, really. Or maybe a lot, depending on how you look at it. That's a complex question. How have your mom and uncle been?" she asked.

The minute the words left her mouth Peyton wished she could retract them. Lucas's face darkened, though she wasn't sure whether it was because she mentioned his mom, or his uncle. She was pretty sure it was his uncle, because he had just been to help his mother at the Cafe, at least, that's what he had said earlier. Peyton waited in silence for a minute, wondering if he was going to speak. "Keith is dead. He was murdered by Jimmy Edwards before Jimmy killed himself," he finally said as his face softened and all that was left was sadness.

Peyton brought her hand up to her mouth to stop her gasp. She didn't mean any disrespect, but she knew Jimmy. The Jimmy she had known would not have been able to do that. Keith had been a great man, from what she remembered of him. Karen had been the surrogate mother figuure of the group, and Keith had been like a surrogate father to Lucas, since Dan, his real father and Keith's, had abondoned him before he was born. Lucas had a brother, named Nathan, if Peyton remembered correctly, and he was a couple months younger than Lucas. Dan had picked Nathan's mom over Karen. Keith had always been there to make up for his brothers mistake, though, for Lucas and for Karen.

Lucas could tell what Peyton was thinking. He nodded, swallowing loudly. "I know what you're thinking, Peyton. How could Jimmy Edwards kill Keith? How could anyonw who knew Keith want to kill him? I really can't believe it myself. I don't see how it could have been anyone else, though, and since Jimmy's gone, too, there's no one around to prove it, even if it was someone else. Besides, either way, it doesn't matter, does it, he's still dead, no matter who was behind the gun," he said, choking back a sob.

Peyton could feel Lucas's pain and she leaned over across the bed and puled him into a hug, running her fingers through his hair. "It does matter, Lucas. It's justice. You do have a point though, if anyone else did kill him, I doubt they're about to come forward. The truth always comes forth in the end, though. I wasn't thinking exactly that, though. I mean, I just thought I knew Jimmy. I'd never imagine him doing something like this," she said, her voice also becoming overwhelmed with grief. She had known and loved Keith, and it was hard to believe he was gone.

Lucas clung to Peyton as he tried to stop the tears from coming. He didn't want to cry about it anymore. He didn't mind the embrace from Peyton, though. It felt great just being in her arms. Peyton felt the same way. She never wanted to let go of him. So they just sat like that for a while, wrapped in each others embrace, comforting each other, forgetting about the rest of the world.

They were still wrapped in each other when there was a knock on the door. Grace called, "Dinner's ready," before heading back toward the kitchen. Peyton and Lucas slowly pulled away from each other. Peyton was chewing on her lip when her eyes met his. She didn't know what it was, but whenever he looked into her eyes it felt like he was looking right into her heart and soul. It felt more intimate than anything she'd ever done, and she just wasn't ready to feel that right now, not so soon after Jake, and everything else that had happened.

So Peyton broke the eye contact and jumped off the bed. "Uh, come on, lets go eat," she said before leaving the room. Lucas watched her go, wondering what had happened. When he had woke up the morning, planning on going to pick Peyton up from the airport, he had not expected this. It was very possible that he was falling for her. He couldn't let that happen, though. He had no idea if she was even feeling the same things. Besides, he had Lindsey to think about. Although, he had to admit, Lindsey had been the furthest thing from his mind while he had been hugging Peyton.

Lucas waited a few minutes to compse himself before following Peyton to the dining room. Peyton was already sitting down at the table. Lucas took the seat next to her on her right just as Gracecame out with the food. She set it down and took her seat at the head of the table. Grace led the prayer before they ate and then they began to dish up food. "So, Peyton, how's school? Have you decided what college you want to go to yet?" Grace asked.

Peyton finished chewing what was in her mouth and set her fork down, looking over at Grace. "Well, I did have a plan, but in light of some recent events, I really don't know anymore," she answered. She was thinking of Jake and their after high school plans. She would have followed him anywhere for college, as long as he was doing what made him happy, she would have been happy. Alone, though, Peyton wasn't sure she even wanted to go to college. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and blinked them back. She needed to stop thinking about Jake. She had no idea how she was going to make it through the next and last year of high school if she had to see Jake every day. She had to use this summer to get over him. Trying to change the subject, she turned to Lucas. "So, what about you, Lucas, do you have any college plans?" she asked as she picked up her fork again and took another bite.

Lucas chewed for a minute, thinking. "A year ago I would have said, without a doubt, that I'd play college basketball. Now, though, because of how things turned out, I might just stick around and go to community college so I can help my mom out. She's pregnant with Keith's child. They were engaged to be married before, you know," he said, referring to Keith's death. Peyton nodded and, without a second thought, reached over to take Lucas's hand under the table.

Lucas met Peyton's gaze and squeezed her hand, assuring her that he was okay. Peyton squeezed his hand back, picking up her fork with her left hand as she began to eat again. Lucas picked up his fork, too, and their hands stayed linked under the table. Neither of them gave any thought that they probably shouldn't be holding hands. Grace watched their interaction, though, and she could tell that while thye might not realize it yet, there was something big between them. "So what changed your mind about college?" Lucas asked after a few minutes of silence at the table.

The pain of remembering Jake flashed in Peyton's eyes and she pulled her hand out of Lucas's, pretending she needed it to brush her hair out of her face. Lucas saw the hurt flash in her eyes before she blocked it by putting up her walls. She switched her fork into her right hand so he couldn't take her hand again and she took abite of food, chewing slowly so she wouldn't have to answer immediately. She took a big gulp of tea, which her grandmother had a secret receipe for, trying to stall some more before she answered. Finally, she said. "Well, to be honest, an ex-boyfriend, and I really don't want to talk about him."

They made some small talk for the rest of the meal, but Peyton kept mostly to herself. She couldn't stop thinking about Jake and how he made her feel. She hated how just the thought of him hurt. She wished she could get the picture of him and Brooke out of her mind. She wished things could go back to the way they had been six weeks ago, before it had happened, when she didn't see Him-she felt weird just thinking his name- all the time. She wished she had just been able to sleep with Jake again after it had happened, so Jake didn't have to go to her bst friend for sex. It was just hard, because everytime she started to get intimate with Jake, she saw Him.

She tried to shake the thoughts out of her mind, the thoughts of Him, thoughts of Jake, thoughts of Jake and Brooke together, out of her mind, but they kept coming back. When everyone was finished eating, and Lucas had left, Peyton offered to do the dished for Grace, just to be polite. She really wanted to just go to her room, crawl into her bed with her music, and try to forget, even if it was just for a little bit. "Nonsense, dear, you're probably jetlagged, and you had to get up early this morning. For tonight, I'll do the dishes. Tomorrow you can do them," she said, giving her grandaughter a hug and kiss on the forehead.

Peyton forced a small smile. "Thanks, Grandma. I really am tired. I'll see you in the morning, okay?" she said before going down the hall to her room. She really wasn't tired, though, and she lay awake in bed long past the time when she heard her grandmother go upstairs to her room. There was something nagging in the back of Peyton's mind, she just didn't know exactly what was wrong. Finally, she realized what the problem was. She threw off the blankets and got out of bed. She hadn't even changed into pajamas, so she walked quietly to the front door and snuck out of the house.

A/N: Okay, not the best chapter, Leyton wise, but don't worry people, the Leytony goodness will come. There will be some Leyton interaction in the next chapter, and, if all goes as planned, you will find out what Rachel wanted, because I know a lot of you are wondering. After the next chapter I'm going to skep about a month, though, because the day-to-day is not all important, and if I do it like that then the fic will be way longer than it needs to be. So, anyway, let me know what you think, and thanks to all of you who have alreayd let me know what you think. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but if I get a lot of reviews I'll try to get uit up even faster.

Disclaimer: I do own One Tree Hill and all of it's characters. Not. It all belongs to the CW. 


	6. Chapter 6

Peyton walked through town, hugging her arms around herself, wishing she had brought a jacket. She was trying to keep her mind off of where she was going, but she was suddenly there and couldn't put it out of her thoughts any longer. A part of her had wanted to avoid this place for the whole summer, but she knew she could only hope to find peace here. It was something she had to do. She had avoided it for years, now was the time to finally face it.

She fell to her knees, wrapping her arms more tightly around herself. She just sat there for a minute, unsure of what to say. "Hi Mom," she finally whispered. "I guess it's been a while. I know I should have come earlier, but I'm here now, and I hope that counts for something. I should've brought some flowers, I owe you a lot of flowers, but I don't think there are any flower shops open in the middle of the night. Besides, I left my money at Grandma's house," she spoke to her mothers grave.

After another moment of silence, she sighed. "I don't know where to start. I mean, so much has happened. Should I start from when I left or just jump right into my current problem," she thought about it for a moment. "I guess I should start with Jake, and I just go from there," she decided. She took a deep breath and began pouring her heart out. "Well, Jake and I started dating the summer after freshman year, and things were great. I mean, really great. I honestly thought he was the one, and we'd spend the rest of our lives together," a ghost of a smile played on her lips as she thought about the way things had been.

The smile dissapeared faster than it had appeared. "A few months ao, I'm not exactly sure when, things started changing. I mean, I still thought he was the one, but things were different. I don't know, he started being somewhat distant. I'm not sure what exactly changed, but something did. Then this other guy came along. He said he was related to me, somehow, through you. I guess I just wanted some connection to you, because I believed every lie he told me.

"About a month and a half ago I tried to cut him out of my life. I thought he'd just go away if I told him to. It didn't work like that. He kept coming around and he said these creepy things to me. One day I came home to find the walls of my room covered in pictures of me I had never seen before. He was there, at my house. I tried to tell him that I loved Jake, and I didn't like him like that. He didn't listen. He kept saying we were meant to be, and Jake was nobody," she choked back a sob and continued. "He attacked me. Eventually I made enough noise that a neighbor called the cops. He fled when he heard the sirens," she paused to take a deep breath.

Peyton wiped at the tears running down her cheeks. She had never told anyone what really happened, and that would be the hardest part. "The cops called a couple of days later to say that they had caught him," she paused, breathing slowly, trying to make herself say the words she had never thought she would have to say out loud. "He raped me," she didn't try to stop the tears anymore. "I've never said that out loud before. No one knew," she added. She felt somewhat better to finally have that off her chest.

She sat in silence, with the tears running down her face, for a few minutes. "Anyway, back to Jake. After that happened, things got even worse. I mean, any time things started to get," she paused, trying to think of the right word, "intimate, I'd freak out. I'd get scared, I guess, and the memories would wash over me. He was really good about it at first, but then he started getting frustrated. I understand it, I was frustrated, too, but I wish he had been more understanding," she stopped, trying to think if there was any way she could havechanged things.

She shook those thoughts away; it wasn't her fault. "Two days ago, we got in a fight. We were at his house, Brooke was crashed on the couch, because she was so drunk I couldn't take her to her house or my house. After the fight I left. I felt bad, though, so I went back to fix it," she paused, trying to think of the best way to phrase what was coming next. "I found him and Brooke on the couch together," she paused, closing her eyes and trying to block out the memory.

After a minute she was able to open her eyes and go on. "Brooke told me she was in love with Jake. I had been dating him for two years, and she tells me she's in love with him. You can't help who you're in love with, though, Iguess," her mind suddenly drifted to Lucas and she shook him out of her thoughts. "All Jake had to tell me, though, was 'I'm sorry,'" she barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Two years of being together and all he has to give me when he cheats on me with my best friend is an apology. Just those two simple words, and he expected them to fix everything," she paused, refelcting on all that happened.

She was about to keep going when she heard leaves crunching behind her. Her mind jumped to the worst and she jumped to her feet, twirling on the spot. Relief washed over her as she recognized Lucas's silouhette. She held a hand to her heart, which was racing wildly, though she wasn't sure if that was because of Lucas orthe fact that he just scared her. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she admonished, then realized that he was in a cemetery, in the middle of the night. "What are you doing here, anyway?" she asked shivering slightly as the wind picked up.

Lucas noticed the shiver and pulled his sweatshirt off, handing it to her. Peyton glanced up into his eyes, but took the sweatshirt. It was his grey, sweatshirt that advertised Keith;s garage. She pulled it over her head, waiting for him to speak. "I could ask you the same thing, you know," he said. Peyton kept her gaze locked on his, waiting for an answer. "I was visiting Keith. I like to do it at night because there's no one around," he paused, giving her a pointed look, "usually."

Peyton shrugged. That was the reason she liked going to cemeteries at night also. "I couldn't sleep," was all she said. After a few moments of silence, the tension got to be too much for Peyton to bear. "Listen, Lucas, about tonight at dinner. I just want to be friends again. I just got out of a relationship, and I'm not ready to do anything. I just want to be friends, the way we used to be. It's not that I don't like you like that, I just don't know what I want right now. I need to clear my head, and figure some things out before I can even think about," she was cut off by Lucas's laughter.

Peyton, whose eyes had been on the ground, looked up now. Lucas realized what she was thinking abd held his hand up as the laughter died down. "No, Peyt, I'm not laughing at you. It's just, did anyone ever tell you you're cute when you ramble?" he asked, causing Peyton to blush and bite her lip, looking down again. She mumbled a 'Thank you.' "You never were good at taking compliments. Anyway, I have to be honest with you," he said, getting more serious. Peyton glanced back up. "I have a girlfriend, Lindsey. I love her, I really do, but," he paused, trying to find a way to say what was on his mind.

Peyton felt her heart drop at hearing this. She tried to convince herself that this changed nothing. She couldn't be with Lucas anyway. She looked up and forced a smile before he could continue. "Great, Lucas, then we're clear. Just friends," she said, holding her hand out for him to shake. She felt like an idiot, and hoped it didn't show.

Lucas studied her hand for a minute, before reaching out and pulling her in for a hug instead. Then he turned them so they were headed for his truck and walked, his arm draped casually over her shoulders. She followed him until they reached him truck, thinking he was taking her to Grace's. When he turned in the opposite direction, she got confused. "Where are you taking me? You don't plan on killing me, do you?" she teasd.

Lucas looked at her with wide eyes. "Who told you? Darn, now you ruined my plan," he joked. He started laughing, and Peyton poked him in the ribs. His laughter was contageous, though, and soon they were laughing together. When the laughter died away, Lucas shook his head. "You'll see where we're going when we get there," he said to her.

Peyton was silent as he drove. Somehow she knew where they were going before they arrived. She was right, and Peyton took in the familiar scenery of the Rivercourt as the memories washed over her. She got out of the car and walked to the court, Lucas trailing behind her after he grabbed the basketball out of the back of his truck. She looked at him. "Why are we here?" she asked softly.

Lucas dribbled the basketball as he looked at her. He tossed her the basketball and she caught it and began dribbling. "I thought we could play a game of Truth. You take turns shooting theball until you make it through the hoop, and whenever you make a basket, you get to ask the other person something. If the other person doesn't answer, the person who asks wins," he briefly explained the rules of the game.

Peyton rolled her eyes, but listened to the instructions. "You do realize that I'm the one who invented the game, right?" she asked sarcastically. Before he could respond, she tossed the ball. It made a perfect arc before going through the hoop. "Are you sure you want to start a game when the last time we started we played for months on and off before either of us won," she asked.

Lucas grinned as he grabbed the ball. "Yes, I'm sure, especially since I was the one who won last time," he smirked over at her as he took his shot. It went through the hoop, bouncing on the ground beneath it. "Now it's time for my question," he said as he thought about what to ask. This game could be about the hard questions, or the getting-to-know-you-again questions. He decided to take the easy route. "What's your favorite movie?" he asked as he tossed her the ball.

They played all night, only stopping once. When the sun started to rise, they stopped to watch it together, then they con tinued to play for a couple more hours. Around 9:00 it was Lucas's turn. Peyton tossed him the ball once he answered her question. He turned to the hoop and was about to shoot when he stopped. He turned to face Peyton, holding the ball against his hip, under his arm. "The Cafe is open. Why don't we put this game on hold and go get some breakfast," he suggested.

Peyton thought about it. She knew she should be tired after pulling an all-nighter on top of jetlag, but she really wasn't. Something about spending time with Lucas energized her. She felt a lot closer to him now then she had before they started the game. It was almost as if they had fallen right bak into the friendship they had once shared. Finally she nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "You're just scared of losing," she teased as she turned to walk back to the truck.

His sweatshirt was tied around her waist. The air had turned warm with the early morning sun, especially while they while they were shooting baskets, even though they had spend as much time talking as throwing the ball. Lucas caught up to her and draped his arm casually over her bare shoulders as they walked. Peyton felt a spark at his touch, but pretended that she didn't. "Sure, Peyt, I'm scared of losing. If that's what you want to believe," he shot back in a conscending tone as they reached the truck. He opened the door for her and waited as she got in.

Peyton rolled her eyes, butaccepted it, this time. When Lucas got in the truck she turned to him as he started it. "Okay, for the record, I can open a door myself, hot shot. I don't need you to do it for me. We're not dating. I know the real you, Lucas Scott. You don't have to be a gentleman all the time," she said as he started driving.

Lucas thought about her words for a minute. When he stopped at a red light he turned to look at her. Peyton looked back expectantly. "I guess you're right. If you want to open your own door on your own, you can. I'm just used to doing it for Lindsey," he said, his eyes studing her, but occassionally glancing back at the light to make sure it hadn't changed yet.

The light changed and Lucas started driving again, his eyes on the road. Peyton nodded, but found herself wishing that she had just allowed him to open the door for her. After a few blocks of silence, Peyton spoke up. "Thank you, I'm glas you see it my way," she said, trying to keep her confusion outof her voice. He was just her friend, right, she didn't need him to open the car door for her, right?

They were both silent the rest of the drive. When they pulled to a stop in front of the Cafe, Peyton smiled at the familiar sight. It looked almost exactly the same as it had when she was young, and she was glad to be back. In her excitement, Peyton jumped out of the car and ran to the Cafe without waiting for Lucas. Lucas followed slowly, laughing as her childlike excitement. It was one of those things he liked about her though.

Karen was behind the counter when she heard the door open. She looked up and spotten Peyton. A smile brightened the faces of both women. Karen walked around the counter and puled Peyton into a hug, which Peyton returned with enthuasium. "Peyton Sawyer, look at you. You've grown into a beautiful young woman," Karen said, taking hold of Peyton's shoulders as she pulled back to look at her.

Peyton beamed back. "You look good, too, Karen. My gosh, you're huge," she said, gesturing to Karen's stomach. Karen wasn't sure whether that was a compliment or not, and Peyton noticed, so she continued. "You wear pregnancy well, though. You look gorgeous," she paused as she looked around the Cafe. "The place looks great too," she said, her eyes landing on Lucas as he walked through the door, approaching them.

Karen noticed what Peyton was looking at, and knew exactly what she meant, but she didn't say anything. Peyton took her eyes off Lucas before he noticed anything. Karen was about to offer them some breakfast when Haley came out of the back. She must have been attracted by the sound of Peyton's voice. With a squeal, Haley ran over and nearly crushed Peyton in a hug.

Peyton eard Haley squeal, but was completely unprepared for the bone-crushing hug. Peyton lightly patted Haley on the back, not exactly trying to push her away, but she needed to breathe. "Hales, it's great to see you, but if you don't let me breathe I won't be around here much longer," she mumbled, stil trying to subtly puss Haley off of her.

Haley finally let go. "I just can't believe you're back. I've missed you, Peyton, and I've got so much to tell you. I'm sure you've got a lot you need to spill too. So, how've you been? What have you been up to? Any boyfriends as of lately? Why are you here with Lucas? You know he's dating Lindseyt, right?" she asked. She had a lot more questions, but she had to pause for breath. She didn't wait for the answers to the previous questions. before continuing with more questions, though.

Lucas knew his best friend. She could keep going and going if no one stopped her. When she was rambling she didn't stop herself, it was up to somebody else to do that. He put an arm around her middle, pulling her back, further away from Peyton as she kept talking. "Let her breathe, Hales. You have all summer to suffocate her qith questions. No need to start so early," he talked over her, looking to his mom for some help.

Karen nodded, understandint Lucas's silent pleas. She put a hand on Haley's arm. "Why don't we go fix them some breakfast, then you can bring it to them. I'll allow you to sit with them for a while and talk," she suggested, already leading Haley away to the kitchen. Lucas led Peyton to a booth and sat down across from her.

They shared a look, sitting in silence for a few seconds before they both burst into laughter. After a few minutes the laughter began to die down. Peyton shook her head as she looked across the table at Lucas. "That is the same old Haley. Still the hyperactive one," she said, looking around the Cafe as the memories washed over her. All the times they had spent in this Cafe. Everywhere she looked in this town inapired memories of her and Lucas. "You know, if there is one thing I missed about Tree Hill, it's this," she said. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised, waiting for clarification. "This. You know, me and you, sitting here, talking and laughing. Being friends," she explained.

Lucas thought about her words for a few minutes. Being friends. Those two words resonated in his head, the latter in particular. That was all they would ever be. Thats all they could ever be. Then why did that classification feel so wrong? He decided to just dismiss his thoughts. "I'm glad you're here, Peyton, even if it's only for the summer. I've missed you too," he finally said.

Peyton nodded, but didn't speak. She couldn't speak. She wished she hadn't used the 'f' word. Friends. Thye seemed like so much more than that, but she knew they would never be. She was too scared of getting hurt again to go down that road with a new person. She wasn't ready for that. Besides, even if she was ready, he had Lindsey, right?

Haley came out with their breakfast, more calmly this time. She sat down in the booth, next to Lucas so she could face Peyton. As Peyton and Lucas ate, the three of them began talking, and that was how they spent their morning, as three friends, getting reaquainted. Haley did have to get up and work occassionally, but she spent most of the day sitting and talking with Peyton and Lucas.

OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH

Lucas, Peyton, Haley and Nathan, Lucas's younger brother of a couple months, were all at the River Court a few days after Peyton had arrived. They boys were playing with a basketball on the court and Peyton and Haley were sitting on the bleachers. Peyton had her sketch book and some pencils, but she wasn't drawing, she was talking with Haley. Lindsey was at work, or she would probably be with the girls, on the bleachers.

Peyton was looking at the guys as there was a lull in the conversation. "I still can't believe it. You and Nathan. Who would have guessed?" she asked. She was stilll trying to process the idea that Haley James, the bookworm, was dating Nathan Scott, jackass extrodinare. Dan, Lucas and Nathan's father, had picked Nathan's mom over Karen, and as children, Nathan had never let Lucas forget it. Nathan had been a popular jock, even at that young age, and Lucas had quit the junior basketball team because Nathan and his friends were always mean to him.

Haley was watching for her boyfriend. She cheered for him when he made a basket. Then she turned to look at Peyton. "I certainly would have guessed. He changed though, really. It took Lucas awhile to see that, and accept it, but Nathan makes me happy, and now Lucas and Nathan get along fine," she said, stopping as the boys approached.

Nathan took a seat next to Haley, giving her a kiss. Haley deepened the kiss, forgetting about everything except Nathan. Peyton gimaced and looked over at Lucas, making a face. Lucas laughed and Peyton jumped off the bleachers to stand next to him. "It took me a while to get used to it, too, but she's good for him. He's good for her, too. They make each other happy," he said.

Peyton nodded. "Yeah, I'm beginning to see that. Doesn't mean I have to watch them go at it, though," she said. Lucas was holding the ball loosely. Peyton slapped it away from him and began dribbling. "How about a game of one-on-one," she suggested, not giving him a chance to reply before turning and running toward the basket as she dribbled the ball.

Lucas followed her as she made a basket. When she took the ball to the center he slapped it from her hands, taking it toward his basket. Peyton came around and when he tossed it, she jumped up and grabbed it out of the air, running toward the other end of the court. Lucas chased after her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and shoving her aside so he could grab the ball. "Cheater," she yelled out, laughing, but she jumped onto his back as he headed for his hoop.

Nathan and Haley had resurfaced and were watching them. Peyton had tackled Lucas to the ground, but he had quickly gotten the upper hand and was cuttently tickling her. Peyton flipped him off and tried to crawl away, but he was relentless in his tickling. The ball lay to the side of the court, abondoned. None of them noticed the Comet that pulled up, or the redhead that got out of it, until she spoke. "Is this what notmally goes on at a basket ball court, because if it is, I am so taking up basketball."

Peyton recognized the voice, and she turned her head. Lucas, who had froze at the sound of a new voice, looked over too, giving Peyton a chance to throw him off and jump up. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked Rachel as she walked over. Then she noticed the Comet parked behind Rachel. She squealed as she ran toward her car. "You brought my car?! How did you know I was here? Where's my dad?" she asked.

Rachel shrugged as Peyton looked around inside her car, making sure Rachel didn't do anything. She was excited to have it back. Lucas, Haley and Nathan had made their way over to the car, too. "Your dad's back home. I knew you were here because your grandmother told me so. Yes, I brought your car. I am here because I'm staying at my parents house in Tree Hill for the summer. Those are the answers to your questions, in reverse order," Rachel answered.

Peyton noticed the other three staring at Rachel and looking at the car, wondering what was going on. Peyton got out of the car and gestured to Rachel. "Guys, this is my," she paused, but then decided to just sayd it, "friend, Rachel. Rachel, this is Lucas, Haley and Nathan," she pointed to each invidual. Then she gave Rachel a hug. "Thanks so much for bring my car, I so owe you. How did this come to happen, anyway?" she asked.

Rachel sighed. "I went to your house to see you, and mentioned to your father I was coming up here. Long story short, I drove your car here instead of taking a plane," she paused. "I want our friendship back, Peyton, I've missed it, and I didn't realize how much until the other night," she said, looking at Peyton, wondering what her reaction would be.

Peyton didn't even need to think about it. She nodded and gave Rachel a hug. She needed all the friends she could could get, though she couldn't exactly tell Rachel the reason why, not in front of the other three. She hadn't told them about Jake yet, thought she was planning on doing that soon. "Me, too, Rach, me, too. So, you wanna hang out?"

A/N: I would have had it up sooner, but I had to completely rewrite it. Here it is, though, and I think it turned out okay. It answers some of the questions you guys have been asking. Let me know what you think, and what you think should happen next. I think I'm bringing Lindsey into the next chapter, maybe. Thanks for all your awesome reviews, and keep reviewing, please.

Disclaimer: One Tree Hill is not mine, though I wouldn't mind having Chad or James. Alas, they don't belong to me. Sadness. 


	7. Chapter 7

A month later and summer was half way over. Peyton and Lucas still had feelings for each other, but neither would admit it to anyone, not even themselves. They were becoming really close friends, though, and they spent almost every day with each other. Sometimes Nathan and Haley hung out with them. When Lindsey wasn't working, she was always with Lucas, whoever he was with. Lindsey worked most of the time, though; she was lucky when she got Saturday and Sunday off. Peyton spent a lot of time with Rachel, as they became close friends again. She told Rachel what had happened with Jake and Brooke, and eventually she had told the others from Tree Hill, too, but she still didn't tell anyone about her attack.

Peyton and Lindsey got along okay, but they weren't the best of friends. Peyton couldn't understand how Lindsey spent so much time at work, and so little time with Lucas. Lindsey was a little jealous of how much time Peyton spent with her boyfriend, but neither of them shared their feelings about the other with Lucas. They both pretended to get along when they had to spend time together, but Peyton mainly tried to avoid Lucas when Lindsey wasn't working, unless everyone was hanging out as a group.

Rachel seemed to fit into the group nicely, and Peyton found it comforting to have someone from home with her. It was kind of like having the best of both worlds. She really enjoyed hanging out with Rachel again. She had forgotten how much fun they used to have. Most nights Rachel stayed at Grace's with Peyton, but sometimes they went to the cabin.

Right now Peyton was at the Rivercourt, alone, drawing with her headphones in her ears. Haley and Nathan were on some special date, because they had been dating six months now. Lindsey wasn't working, so Lucas was with her. Rachel had a date with a guy she had met. So Peyton was using her time to draw. She was actually thankful for the chance to be alone. She liked being alone with her thoughts and letting them float out onto the paper.

As much as Jake had been the focus of her drawings before, she realized she had been thinking about him less and less, and when she did think about him, it didn't hurt anymore. She had a new subject now. It was mainly Lucas, not that she let anyone see them. There were some drawings that she let the others see, and they always said they were good, but some she just had to keep private. She finished one drawing and held it back so she could look at it. It had a bunch of faceless people, who all looked the same, except for one. In the middle, one of them was wearing a red shirt instead of the regular black. Lucas had been wearing a red shirt the day he picked her up from the airport.

Peyton was trying to think of the perfect caption for it when she felt her headphones being tugged at. She looked up with a start and saw Lucas standing next to her. She couldn't help the smiled that played on her lips, but when she saw Lindsey behind Lucas, the smile faded, just a little. So little, in fact, that no one, with the possible exception of Lucas Scott, would have noticed.

Peyton pulled her head phones out of her earsans turned the music off, setting her sketchbook aside. She stood and gave Lucas a hug, then, out of poilteness, greeted Lindsey. "What are you doing here? I thought you guys were hanging out today, because she isn't working," Peyton directed her question to Lucas. She was standing kind of close to him because he was right in front of the bleachers and she was on the first seat. Even with the added height, she was barely as tall as him.

Lindsey noticed that Peyton was excluding her and she scooted closer to Lucas, looping her arm through his and pressing against him so that Peyton would get the hint and take a step back. "Yeah, we are hanging out. I know he loves basketball, though, so I thought we could come here," she said, sending the obvious message that she wanted to be with him alone, and that she wanted Peyton to leave.

Peyton got the message and while she thought it was ridiculous how jealous Lindsey was being, she didn't feel like picking a fight today. She picked up her stuff and stepped off the bleachers, backing away. "I'll see you later, Luke. I was just about to leave anyway," she said, not even bothering to make up an excuse as she turned and started to walk away.

She had nly gotten a few feet away before she heard Lucas's voice. "No!" he shouted, causing Peyton to stop in her tracks. Peyton turned around and they eyes of both women were locked on Lucas. "I just mean, I'll be playing basketball, and Lindsey will just be sitting on the bleachers. It'll give you guys a chance to get to know each other better," he continued.

Both women eyed him for a minute before turning their gazes on each other. Peyton thought about declining, she really didn't want to get to know Lindsey better, and she didn't want to deal with Lindsey's jealousy, but she couldn't say no to Lucas. She didn't have it in her; she had never had it in her. So she nodded and shrugged, even though she knew Lindsey wanted her to leave.

Peyton sat down on the bleachers again and Lindsey reluctantly took a seat next to her as Lucas took to the court.Lindsey staeyed silent for a minute as she watched Lucas play. She turned to face Peyton and realized that Peyton was staring at Lucas, too. She did not like the way Peyton was staring at her boyfriend. She noted the look she saw in Peyton's eyes. "You like my boyfriend," she accused suddenly. Peyton took her eyes off Lucas, looking over at Peyton in disbelief. "You like Lucas," she repeated.

Peyton blew out a sigh and rolled her eyes. "Lindsey, what are you talking about? Of course I like him, he's one of my best friends," she said. Lindsey jumped up, pointing at Peyton. Peyton stood too. Lucas, who had headphones in his ears as he played, noticed nothing going on in the bleachers. "I don't like Lucas in that way, Lindsey. I'm not-I'm not over Jake, yet," she fumbled over the words because she wasn't even sure they were true anymore. Her defiant gaze, directed at Lindsey, never wavered, however.

Lindsey stared back for a minute, before finally nodding. She wasn't sure she believed Peyton, but she didn't want to press it now. She had no proof, and she didn't want to look like a jealous girlfriend. She didn't want to be a jealous girlfriend. Jealousy was something she had always prided herself in avoiding. Lucas jumbled up all her emotions, though, and he changed everything she had ever believed. She broke her gaze from Peyton's only when her cell phone began ringing.

Peyton watched as Lindsey answered her phone. She noticed the change from jealous girlfriend to dedicated worker. Lindsey spoke a few words, then, nodding, she started walking toward her car. Halfway there she stopped and turned to Peyton, her phone still attached to her ear. "Tell Lucas I love him and I'll see him later. Make sure he gets home," she called as she walked away, resuming her phone conversation.

Peyton watched in amusement. Lindsey really did love her job, and what she did. Almost as much as she seemed to love Lucas, or maybe more? Peyton put the thought out of her mind as Lucas walked toward her. "What happened to Lindsey? Peyton did you do something to her?" he asked, his tone light but the question was serious. He knew they didn't get along, and he was only trying to fix that. He hoped he hadn't made things worse.

Peyton looked over and stuck her tongue out at him. "No, Lucas, I did not do anything to her. She got a phone call and said she loves you and she'll call you later as she left," she bumped her hip into his, trying not to think about Lindsey's words ringing in her mind. Lucas didn't respond for a minute, but he finally looked at Peyton and forced a smile. "How about a game of Truth?" she asked, grabbing the ball from him. Sh walked toward the middle of the court, she waited. He hadn't moved. She walked back to him. "Unless you want to talk, about Lindsey, or whatever," she added.

Lucas finally snapped out of his trance, shaking his head and grabbing the ball from her hands. "In case you've forgotton, it was my turn," he said. Then he tossed the ball and they started another round. A little while later they had given up with the basketball and were just lying down in the middle of the court. The stars were starting to come out. They were just lying next to each other, under the stars, in a comfortable silence.

Peyton couldn't stop thinking about Lindsey and what she had said. What if it was true? She tried to reason that it wasn't. She was still not over Jake, right? She couldn't possibly be over him in under a month. She had been with him for two years, he had broken her heart by sleeping with her best friend. There was no way she was over him that fast. So why had she let Lucas in? She never let people in, especially not ones she had just started to get to know again.

Lucas was different, though. He saw past her walls, right down into her soul. She wanted to tell him everything, well, within reason. She didn't want to tell him about the rape, yet, but everything else she had told him. He could read her emotions better than anyone else. Sometimes he knew what she was felling better than she did. That didn't mean she liked him, though, did it? It just meant that they were really good friends.

Lucas's mind was on Lindsey, and how she had left without even saying goodbye. He wondered how things between him and Lindsey had gotten so screwed up. It was like she cared about her job more than him now. Truth be told, though, he would rather spend time with Peyton than Lindsey. Lindsey was always talking about work, and while he liked that she was so focused, it wouldn't hurt if they could talk about something else once in a while. She didn't even like basketball, which was one of the biggest things in his life.

Peyton, though, just understood him. She always seemed to know what he was thinking. She also loved to shoot hoops with him. None of the girls he had ever dated like to play around with a basketball with him. Though, he admitted, Peyton Sawyer was not ling anyone he had ever known. He was glad that she has decided to come to Tree Hill for the summer. It reminded him of the past, when times had been good. When the only girls in his life were Peyton and Haley, and they were only his best friends.

He couldn't help but thinking of Lindsey again, and his feelings for her. It all seemed so different than when they had just gotten together. Things had been different between him and Lindsey for a long time. Albeit, things did get weirder when Peyton came around. Lucas knew that Lindsey was jealous of Peyton. He guessed he could understand why, but it was still unjustified. Peyton was still not over Jake, as she mentioned from time to time. He had noticed, however, that she seemed to hardly mention him anymore.

Lucas finally decided that the silence had gone on long enough. "Penny for your thoughts?" he asked. He turned his head so she was looking over at her, but she kept her gaze on the sky. He knew she was mentally contemplating something, but he didn't know what it was. He could tell that she was tense because of it, though. He just waited for her to speak.

Instead of telling him what she was thinking, Peyton just kept staring at the sky. She couldn't even look at him right now. She saw a flash of light, streaking across the sky and pointed up at it. "Make a wish," she whispered into the cool night air as she silently made a wish. The question was, did she really want it to come true, and what would happen if it did?

A/N: Here's the next chapter and I'm sorry something was going on with the alerts. I didn't get alerted about any of the reviews I got. Thanks for those reviews, by the way. Oh, and in case you didn't know, I have posted the first chapter of the sequel for Can't Stop Destiny. It's called Predestined, and I would really appriciate some reviews for it. I'll update it before I come back to this. Also, if anyone knows, can you tell me what that drawing that I put in this chapter is captioned? I looked on the internet and I can't find it and I can't remember for the life of me. So if you can tell me, that'd be great. Just so you know, it should only be a couple more chapters before Luke and Peyton get together, but this fic is not close to over yet. Oh, and wasn't the episode this week awesome!! Go Deb! And Dan too. The ending was really weird though. It was like...what the heck? But anyway, it was still good, and I won't say anything more for those who didn't see it. With all that being said, I think I will end this incredibly long A/N. Reviews are always appriciated!!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, or much of anything really. I do like using the characters though. 


	8. Chapter 8

Lucas was at the Rivercourt, shooting baskets when He heard a car pull up. He found himself wishing that it was Peyton and he had to force a smile when he saw that it was Lindsey instead. She walked toward him slowly, and he found himself dreading the conversation even more. She met him in the middle of the court and they silently walked together to the bleachers.

Lucas knew what was coming, and, somehow, he wasn't as upset as he would havae assumed he would be. He waited for Lindsey to speak though. He twirled the basketbeall between his fingers as he waited for her to break the silence. They both kept their eyes on the ball as she began speaking. "Lucas, you know I love you. We've been together so long, I can't help but love you," she took a deep breath. "I think that's our problem," she added.

Lucas looked over at her, letting the ball drop to the ground. Lindsey's eyes followed the ball, but his stayed locked on her face as she kept speaking. "I don't think I'm in love with you anymore. I love you, and I think I always will, but we're not in love. Things changeds between us, and you can't tell me you didn't notice," she spoke each word carefully, as if she weighed each on her tongue before letting them out of her mouth. "I think it's just become a routine for us, and we stay together because it's easy. I don't want to so that anymore. I can't do that anymore," she broke off, finally looking into his eyes.

She watched for his reaction as she spoke her next words. "I got offered a real job with the company. For the rest of the summer I'll be working full time, for full pay. When school starts again I'll have to work part time, but I'll still have a steady position. I think, in the end we were just too different. You ever supported how much I work, and I never really got how much you love basketball," she paused, as if unsure how to say what was coming next. "See, Peyton understands you. She gets how important basketball is to you, and I don't think I ever will," she said hesitantly.

Lucas shook his head, standing up. "You're breaking up with me and you bring up Peyton? When will you get it? How many times do I have to tell you? Peyton and I were just friends," he shot out her. The tone in his voice was not angry, however. It was frustrated, and though they both noticed, Lucas was in denial and Lindsey decided not to say anything about it.

She placed her hand on his forearm and pulled him back down onto the bench. "I didn't mean to sound bitter, or anything. I'm not even angry. In fact, I think maybe you should go for it. If you love her and she loves you back, go ahead," she paused for a second. "That's not what I came here to talk about, though, Lucas. Believe it or not, this is not about her. It's about you and me.

"I think it's best if I take this job, and we end things. I loved our time together, and I'll always have a place for you in my heart, but our time is over. Our lives are going to lead us in separate directions and I think it'll be best if we stop here before one of us hurts the other beyond forgiveness. At least this way things won't be so bad that we can't be friends at school next year," she said, her voice really calm for someone who was breaking up with her boyfriend. The truth was, she was dying inside, but she could tell his heart already belonged to Peyton, and she didn't want to be a bitter ex-girlfriend. She knew this was the besgt, for both of them.

Lucas took her hand, using his other hand to move her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "What if I don't want to move on? What if I only want to be with you, and if you want to move on, I'll let you, but I don't want to, and I'll do anything to convince you that you don't want to either?" he asked, his thumb lightly stroking her cheek. Some part of him knew she was right, but he wasn't ready to let her go yet, or the safety of their relationship.

His kindness brought tears to her eyes, but she knew he was wrong. That made the tears slip out of her eyes. He gently used the pad of his thumb to wipe the tears away. Lindsey pulled her hand out of his and leaned back, away from his other hand. She knew this had to be done, and he couldn't stop her. She stood up, nodding. "It has to be done Luke. I only hope that when school starts again we'll be able to be friends. I really mean that. I don't want to hate you. I just can't do this anymore," she said as she took a couple of steps back. She had to get out before she started bawling in front of him.

Lucas saw the convinction in her eyes and he stood up, standing in front of her as she backed away. "This is it? This is goodbye? After all we've been through, this is it?" he pleaded, trying to get her to reconsider. He had known they had differences, but he hadn't thought they they would break up over them. They had always been an easy couple. One of the easiest relationships he had ever had. He knew in his heart tht it was over, and the realization hit him suddently, even as the words were leaving his mouth.

Lindsey nodded, tears slipping out of her eyes. "Yeah, this is it. I think we should avoid each other for the rest of the summer. Then, maybe by the time school starts again, we can be friends. For now, though, I think staying away from each other would be best," she backed away a few more steps before stopping again, her eyes meeting his. "Goodbye, Lucas," she said softly before turning around and walking to her car.

Lucas watched her go, unsure of how he really felt. He needed to think. So he did the most logical thing. He picked up the basketball and started to clear his head.

OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH

Peyton had just taped the drawing she had finished yesterday up on the wall. She had thought of the perfect caption for it. It now read, 'They're not YOU.' She stepped off the chair she had been standing on and looked around the room. She had put a lot of her drawings up on the walls and added a few other things that reminded her of her room at home. She liked staying with her grandmother because it reminded her of when she had been young and all the times she had stayed in this house.

Peyton was startled by a knock on her door. She moved the chair back to her desk and sat on it as she said, "Come in." The door opened and Rachel entered the room, grinning hugely. Peyton eyed her as she practically skipped into the room, prancing around in front of Peyton. Peyton suddently got a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Rachel looking at her with that smile never meant anything good. She knew from years of experience. "What is it?" she asked cautiously.

Rachel grinned and sat down on Peyton's bed, crossing her legs underneath her. "I have the best news for you. Guess what it is," she said excitedly. Peyton was about to exercise her sarcastic wit, but Rachel cut her off before she could say anything. "Don't even try to guess because you'll get it wrong," she paused for dramatic effect. "Lindsey broke up with Lucas," she squealed, then waited as if she expected Peyton to leap for joy, or something. "Why are you not happy about this?" she asked.

Peyton spun her desk chair around to face the wall, and she looked up at the drawing she had just put up. She couldn't be happy about this, right? Her best friend had just had his heart broken, so how could she be happy? There was no reason to be happy about this. She looked up at the drawing, trying to convince her heart that it wasn't about Lucas. Some obscure part of her knew it was, but she pushed that part away, choosing instead to live in denial. She turned back to face Rachel. "Why am I not happy about this? My best friend just got hurt, that's why. I have to go see if he's okay," she said as she stood, grabbing her keys and rushing to the door.

When she reached the door she stopped and turned back, grabbing one more thing before leaving. Rachel sat on Peyton's bed, wondering when Peyton was going to admit her feelings for Lucas. Rachel had seen Peyton with Jake, and she saw Peyton now and she knew. Peyton was over Jake, and had been since before Rachel had arrived in Tree Hill. She could tell Lucas wanted to be with Peyton, too. She just wished they would stop lying to themselves and just get together already.

Peyton got into her Comet and drove to the Rivercourt. She was surprised to find it empty. Then she looked down at the item she had taken from her room and placed in the passenger seat. She knew exactly where he was. She turned the caar back on and turned it around. She drove to the other side of town and parked at her destination. She had made a quick stop on the way, and she grabbed the two bouquets and the item from her room before getting out of the car. She walked a little way before spotting him.

Lucas was talking and she could tell now wasn't the time to disturb him. So she made a little detour. "Hi, Mom," she said as she put one of the bouquets on the headstone, picking up the one she had left the last time she had been here. They hadn't died yet, but they we're fresh anymore. Peyton heaved a sigh as she sat down. "Lindsey and Lucas are no longer together," she blurted out. She paused, glancing over at him on the other side of the cemetery before continuing. "Rachel has some insane notion that I should be with Lucas. I don't know if I can do that. I mean, say he does like me and I do like him, what then? What happened in a month when I'm supposed to go back home? What if I really fall for him? I can't do that," she paused, sighing. "I kind of wish I could see Jake right now, to know if I really am as in love with him as I think I am. I mean, feelings don't just disappear, do they? Maybe I should give Jake a second chance," she trailed off.

Peyton glanced up at Lucas and saw that he wasn't speaking anymore. She stood, grabbing the two items on the ground next to her. "Wish my luck, Mom, and please, help me make the right choice," she whispered as she started to walk over to Keith's grave. She stopped behind Lucas but she knew that, even with his back to her, he knew she was there. She cleared her throat in case he didn't. "I'm sorry," she spoke.

Lucas wasn't startled when she spoke up. He had seen her talking to her mom and, even if he hadn't, he had known she was there. He couldn't explain it, but he could always sense her presence. Whether it was because of the cucumber melon shower gel she used, or the sound of her footsteps, he always knew when she was near. He turned to look at her, a small smile on his face as he shook his head. He knew she meant she was sorry about Lindsey breaking up with him. "You don't have to be sorry. In fact, I've been thinking a lot about it. About you," he noticed what she was holding in her arms. "Why did you bring that?" he asked as he stood up.

Peyton placed the bouquet down and then handed him the sweatshirt. "I just thought you might like it back. It wa your favorite thing to remind you of Keith and I've been selfishly keeping it to myself for a month. I think it's time for it to comfort you again. You probably need it more than me now, anyhow. So I just thought you should have it back," she answered, her eyes on the grey, Keith Scott Body Shop sweatshirt. She had been sleeping with it for a while, because it had brought her comfort. It was almost as good as a hug from Lucas, which made her feel safe. She had been planning to give it back at the end of the summer, since he shouldn't really need it during the summer, but she decided he needed it now.

Lucas looked down at the sweatshirt then back up at Peyton. Blue eyes met green. "I was wondering if I was ever going to see this again," he joked, nudging her shoulder gently. He continued before she could say anything because he needed to say what he had been thinking about all day. "Listen, Peyt, we need to talk," he said.

Peyton grimaced. "I thought you have to be dating someone to hear those words. You're kind of jumping the gun, hotshot," she mumbled sarcastically, biting her lip as she brought her gaze down to the ground. She suddenly felt very nervous and she tried to build her walls up before glancing back up at him. She got the sudden urge to run as she saw the look in his eyes, but her feet stayed firmly planted on the ground. "So, what do you want to talk about?" she reluctantly asked.

Lucas reached out, brushing a lock out of her face and then moving her lip out from between her teeth. "You don't have to be nervous around me, Peyton. You can tell me anything," he reassured her, his thumb caressing her cheek. "I've been thinking about us today. I've realized that Lindsey was right when she broke up with me. I don't love her like I used to. Mainly because I have feelings for you. Ever since you walked back into my life, Peyton, I can't get you out of my head. Even when we were little, I had feelings for you I didn't even understand. I still don't understand them, but I want to spend every day trying to understand them, with you," he paused, looking at her for a reaction. "Say something," he added in a whisper.

Peyton let his words resonate through her mind. This was just too much. She took a step back, away from him. "I... I can't," she mumbled before turning and doing what she did best. She ran, all the way back to her car, and then she started driving. Peyton drove for hours before ending up at the Cafe. She only hoped that Lucas wasn't there as she walked in.

Peyton scanned the room and, finding no sign of Lucas, took a seat at the counter, waiting for someone to come ut from the kitchen. A few seconds later, Haley came out, grinning from ear to ear. As Haley apporached humming to herself, Peyton raised her eyebrows at her perky friend. "You wouldn't, by any chance, be happy today, would you Hales?" Peyton asked sardonically. Then she saw Haley's left hand, and the shimmer on it. "Nathan proposed?! No way!" Peyton exclaimed, grabbing her friends left hand and examining her ring finger.

Haley was still beaming from ear to ear. "We went out to this really romantic dinner last night and I stayed at his house," she broke off, noticing Peyton's look. "We just slept, Peyton, get your mind out of the gutter," she admonished. "Anyway when I woke up this morning he had been watching me sleep. He told me he could wake up next to me everyday for the rest of his life. Then he asked if I wanted to," Peyton's eyes widened. "Yeah, I know. I thought he was just kind of joking at first, but then he showed me the ring. It's an old family heirloom of his and he asked his mom if he could have it a while back. He said he was never intending to actually propose, at least not yet, but he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me," she finished, tears of happiness forming in her eyes as she looked lovingly down at the ring.

Peyton was shocked. As far as she knew, Haley and Nathan had only been dating for a handfull of months. How could they know so quickly that they were forever? "How do you know he's the one? How do you know something isn't going to happen to tear you two apart? How are you sp ready to commit to forever? What if you go to separate colleges or something?" she asked.

Haley shot her a weird glance before she once again became lost in her happiness as she thought about her love for Nathan. "He's the only one I can picture beside me for forever. I would do anything to make him happy and I know he'd do the same for me. I just know that I could get through anything, as long as he's by my side. He brings a smile to my face every time I think about him, even when I've had the worst day ever. When I'm with him I'm completely content and when I'm not with him I'm waiting for the next time I get to see him. Even if we don't work out, I know I want to remember this moment, these feeling forever," she paused. "I know we are, though. I don't want to face the world with anyone else. I plan on going to the same college as him, but even if we don't, I know we could make it through long distance, because I trust in him, and I trust in us," she tried to answer all of Peyton's questions.

Peyton sighed, thinking over Haley's words. Many of the things Haley said made her think of Lucas. She always felt safe with him, like he would never hurt her. She knew he would do anything for her, and she would do anything for him. She often found herself smiling stupidly when she thought about him. Now that she had Lucas back in her life she didn't want to try to get through the next school year without at least being friends with him. Did that mean they were meant to be, though? Could she really let a new guy back into her life, and trust again, so soon? He wasn't just any guy, though, and she knew that. He was Lucas Scott. When she was young he had always been her rock, her shelter, her safe place. Even now, he was still all those things for her, even after all that time apart.

There was still the issue of Jake. What if Jake was her 'one' and she wasted it because she never gave him a second chance? What if his night with Brooke had made him realize how much he needed her? Part of her wished she could see Jake, so she could know. She felt like seeing him would give her a lot of answers to the questions running through her mind. If seeing him brought back all the old feelings she would know they had nexer gone away. If not, then she had made a big mistake running away from Lucas.

She couldn't see Jake, though, so she stood. Giving Haley a hug over the counter. "Congratulations, Haley, I really am happy for you. Happy that you've found love this early in life. I'm glad you seem so sure, too. Listen, though, I've got something I've got to do, so I'll talk to you tomorrow and we'll talk more about your wedding. I'm glad you're happy," she said sincerelyt before leaving the Cafe. Haley watched her friend go, knowing something was up, but knowing Peyton needed to deal with it on her own.

Peyton drove back to Grace's house. She had a phone call she had to make. Or maybe even a road trip. She had to go to her room first, though. Grace was in the kitchen, cooking when Peyton came in. "Is that you, Peyton?" she poked her head through the doorway. "Hey, you have some visitors. I told them you weren't here but they wouldn't leave, said they'd come a long way to see you and they didn't know anyone else in this town. They're waiting in your room," she said before pulling her head back into the kitchen.

Peyton felt a knot tie in her stomach. She walked cautiously to her room, wondering what was awaiting her. She slowly pushed the door open. Her stomach disappeared completely as two heads turned to look at her. Her breathing stopped, but she managed to get out one word. Well, a name really. His name. "Jake," she muttered under her breath.

A/N: I know it's a cliffhanger, but don't hate me. I've got to update Predestined first, but I'll get back to this as soon as possible. Your reviews would surely help. Hint, hint. So, anyway, what do you think? Let me know and please don't be mad at Peyton's actions. Oh, and I added Haley in there because there hasn't been as much Naley as I would've liked so far. Hope you like it. Reviews are always much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, and I am very sad because there is no new episode this week. I can't get my weekly Leyton fix. I guess I'll just have to write some more. 


	9. Chapter 9

Looking at Jake, Peyton had all the answers she needed about where her heart was. She still had some other questions she would like the answers to, though. However, as she looked from Brooke to Jake and back again, she couldn't find any words. Brooke, who had been looking at the drawing captioned, 'They're not YOU,' turned to look at Peyton. "Hey, P. Sawyer. How've you been? Nice room. Who's the guy?" she asked casually, gesturing vaguely to the drawing on the wall.

Brooke's casual tone caused Peyton to find her voice. She couldn't believe they were here, acting as if they hadn't broken her heart, just a month ago.She shook her head, but she found she wasn't angry. She just wanted them gone, out of her room and out of Tree Hill. Before any one from Tree Hill showed up. None of them were that happy with Brooke or Jake. She also had things to do, so it would just be better if they were gone. "Why are you here?" she asked. Brooke opened her mouth, but Peyton, who could tell that Brooke was about to beat around the bush some more, cute her off. "Cut the crap, and tell me the real reason. I don't have time for any BS," she said.

Brooke closed her mouth and collapsed onto Peyton's bed. She should have expected Peyton to be so blunt, but it still hurt. She looked up Peyton, vunerability in her eyes. Vunerability was not something she saw on Brooke often. Brooke tried not to let things affect her like that. It didn't do much to soften Peyton up though. She just stood there, in her doorway, waiting for an answer. "We just want to talk, Peyt. I've missed you. We've both missed you. You just leave, without talking to us, or settling things. You won't answer our calls. So we decided to take a little road trip and make you see us," she said softly.

Peyton didn't know what to say. She didn't really want to talk to either of them, but she knew she had to. She didn't want to start the next school year and have things be awkward, though, so she knew she had to talk to them. She decided it would be easier if she talked to them separately. She knew Brooke would be easier to talk to, so she nodded, looking over at Jake. "Brooke and I are going to go sit on the porch and talk. Just...stay here. I'll be back," she said, backing from the room.

Brooke followed Peyton and they exited the house. Brooke closed the door behind them before they both took a seat on the porch swing. They swung in silence for a moment before Brooke broke the silence. "You remember all the times we swung on your porch swing back home? We'd just sit and swing, anytime one of us had a problem and we'd talk it out," she said tentatively. Peyton didn't say anything. "What are you thinking, P. Saawyer? Come on, this is me, your best friend. You can tell me anything," she added, looking over at Peyton.

Peyton sighed, her eyes downcast. She knew what she had to say would be hard for Brooke to hear, but it would be even harder for her to say it. Finally she looked up at her once best friend. "I don't think so, Brooke," she said, shaking her head slowly as her eyes met Brooke's. "Maybe that's how it used to be, but it's not anymore. Things can't just immediately go back to the way they were. Do you still love Jake?" the question slipped from her lips, but even as she said it, she knew the answer.

Brooke hesitated before nodding. She knew now was the time for honesty and she couldn't lie anymore, not to Peyton and not to herself. "Yesh, Peyton, I do love him, but I want you to know, nothing has happened since that night. I've been hanging out with him since the summer started, but nothing has happened. I want you to be okay with it, if anything does happen. It's okay if you're never okay with it, though. I mean, I don't even know if he feels the same way," she paused, realizing she needed to choose her words better. "I just really want things to be okay with us first," she added.

Peyton listened calmly as Brooke spoke. She knew what she had to say, even if it would be hard. "I don't know when that's going to happen, if that's going to happen," she paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "I want you to tell Jake how you feel," she shot Brooke a look, letting her know not to interrupt. "It all means nothing if you can't tell the one you love how you feel. If you guys get together, good for you. Either way, it shouldn't affect our friendship, should that happen again," she said, knowing she had to take her own advice.

Brooke started shaking her head adamantly. "No, Peyt, I can't do that. I can't do that to you. I can't do that to him and I can't do that to myself," Brooke paused, on the verge of saying something else. Finally she decided thast she should just say it, even though she was suer Peyton's reaction would hurt. She just had to know Peyton's true feelings. "He's still in love with you, Peyton. Maybe you guys should just-"

Peyton cut her off. She knew exactly where Brooke was going and she didn't want to head in that direction. She held up a hand, shaking her head. "No, Brooke, you're wrong. I like someone else now. Even if I didn't, I couldn't get together with Jake again. I can't go down that road again. It wouldn't be fair to any of us." Brooke kinked her eyebrows and Peyton continued before she could interrupt. "Don't you think there's a reason he picked you? I mean, of all people to cheat on me with, he picked my best friend. We were all fooling ourselves, for far too long. It's got to end. I'll help him realize that he doesn't love me anymore, if he doesn't realize that already. You've got to handle the rest," she finished, just as the door opened.

Before Brooke could even open her mouth, Jake stepped out onto the porch. "Your grandma keeps staring at me from the doorway of your room. Actually, it's more like glaring," he mumbled as he shut the door behind himself. "I don't understand how she could say so much without even opening her mouth. Did you have to tell her what happened?" he added nervously, not wanting an answer, looking down at his shuffling feet.

Peyton stood up, looking at Jake. "Take a walk with me," she said. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked off the porch, and down the drive way. She had walked half a block before Jake caught up with her. He was breathing heavily from running and he was about to open his mouth to say something, but before he could, Peyton held her hand up, causing Jake to stay silent.

Peyton tried to change her thoughts into words, but the sentences wouldn't form, much less come out of her mouth. It was another couple of blocks before she managed to say anything. "Okay, why are you really here?" Jake opened his mouth to reply, but Peyton didn't let him. "I'm not in love with you anymore and you're not in love with me anymore. So why did you make the trip, because I know you've realized that," she added.

Jake started to protest, but stopped himself, sighing in defeat. He stayed silent as they walked a few more blocks. "You're right, Peyton. Our relationship was over long before I cheated. I'm still sorry that I didn't man up and just break things off with you instead of breaking your heart," he said. Peyton knew he had more on his mind, so she stayed silent. "The real reason I came: This whole summer, Brooke has been upset, and I know she tried to hide it and I know the only reason she's upset is because she needs to mend things with you. I knew that would be the only thing that could make it better," he paused. "Even if you hate me forever, you have to forgive her. You know it's not her fault. It's eating her up inside," he added in a soft voice.

Peyton shoved her shoulder into Jake's, in a not quite unfriendly way. "You just don't see it, do you?" she asked. Jake looked at her, confusion on his face. She chuckled softly. "You love her Jake. Somewhere along the line of our relationship, you fell out of love with me and in love with my best friend," she paused, wincing at the way those words rolled off her tongue. She had never thought she would say that, especially not with such calm acceptance in her voice. "Maybe that's not the best way to put it," she added as she saw his wince, too. "Anyway, the point is, what are you going to do about it?" she asked.

Jake thought about his response, but before he could say anything Peyton's named was called out and Haley came running towards them, Nathan trailing after her, a basketball under his arm. Peyton realized they had reached the Rivercourt. "Thank goodness you're here, Peyt. Finally, some female companionship," Haley said as she reached them.

Nathan pretended to be offended by what she said. "Hey," he said and she threw him an apologetic smile before sticking her tongue out at him. Peyton watched as both sets of eyes landed on Jake at the same time. "Who's this?" Nathan asked, and by the danger in his voice Peyton knew that Nathan knew exactly who he was. Before she could say anything in his defense, though, movement on the court caught her eye. She looked over Nathan's shoulder and saw Lucas, walking back to his car, wearing the Keith Body Shop sweatshirt with the hood pulled up.

Peyton forgot about the other three people as she started running towards Lucas. She couldn't let him get away. She yelled for him as she ran as hard as she could. He paused and before he could even turn around, she had reached him. He opened his arms on reflex and caught her as she tripped into him. Peyton loved the feel of being in his arms and it ended too quickly when he pushed her away, making sure she had her balance before he let go. "What do you want, Peyton?" he asked.

Peyton winced and closed her eyes, but she knew she deserved his cold tone. She had never meant to hurt him. He had to know that. She just hadn't been sure of her feelings. She was just about to open her mouth to apologize, or maybe to explain, just to say something, anything, when his eyes focused on something over her shoulder. Before she could get any words out, he pointed and she reluctantly turned to see what he was pointing too. "I think my brother and your boyfriend are about to tussle," he said, somewhat amused.

Peyton realized that he thought she was with Jake, and she realized why he was as mad as he was. She looked up to him, a plea in her eyes. Before she could even ask for his help, Lucas sighed and started jogging over toward the other three. Something about her needing him, he couldn't turn her down, even if she had hurt him. Peyton followed, knowing she needed to explain, but if he didn't break it up, a fight would break out. She thought that since he was helping her, without question, perhaps there was hope.

Lucas reached them, but not before Nathan had landed a punch on Jake's jaw. Peyton winced as she heard the crack and Lucas pulled his brother back, as Haley started to yell at her fiance. Jake hit the ground, but bounced up quickly, his lips split open and bleeding. Peyton jumped in front of Jake, putting one hand to his chest and the other in the direction of where Nathan was still trying to get at Jake. She tried to speak, but no one could hear her over all the yelling and shouting. She whistled, just like her mother used to, loud enough to shock everyone into silence. They all froze, their eyes plastered on her. "Listen, stop, just stop. Nathan, I appreciate it and everything, but Jake's okay. He came to apologise," she said.

Lucas let go of his brother as his jaw fell open in shock. "This is Jake?" he asked. "This is the Jake that broke your heart by cheating on you, with your best friend?" he didn't wait for a response before he reached past Peyton, landing a right hook to Jake's nose. Peyton heard another loud crack as Jake fell again and Nathan tried to pull his brother back. Lucas was already turning and walking back to his car, though, his hands held up in surrender.

Peyton glanced at Jake, who was still down, before turning and once more running after Lucas. He had made it only a few feet before she reached him, grabbing his arm. "Luke, please, don't do this," she said as she turned him around to face her. "I need to get him back to my house, so he can leave with Brooke, but I need to speak to you. Can't you come with me, and then talk to me once I send them on their way?" she pleaded.

Peyton sounded so distraught that Lucas paused and really looked at her, seeing past his rage at Jake, and his assumption that she had got back together with him. He could tell she really wanted to talk to him, and he could never tell her no. So he just started walking back to where Jake was being helped up by the only rational one, Haley. Peyton followed and she could Jake's eyes widen at Lucas's approach, but Lucas held his hands up, showing he meant no harm. "I come in peace," he said, no humor in his voice.

Peyton looked at Haley, who was helping Jake stay on his feet as he tried to stop the flow of blood coming from his nose and lip. "Thanks, Hales. Luke and I have got it from here. I'll talk to you later," she said, lifting Jake's arm off of Haley's shoulders and onto her own. Lucas hesitated for a moment before taking Jake's arm off of Peyton and slipping under it so Jake's weight was on him.

Haley watched the interaction and as they walked away she called to Peyton, "You have a lot of explaining to do, Miss Sawyer." Then she turned to her fiance. "You, sir, are in trouble. There was no need for that," she said, her hands on her hips. She planned on being mad at him, but she couldn't. She took his hand, looking at his knuckles. They were slightly swollen. "Lets go back to your place and deal with those knuckles, then I can find a way to distract you from the pain," she said suggestively. She was still lost in the bliss of being newly engaged and, anyway, she didn't like Jake for what he did to Peyton. Nathan grinned and wrapped his arm around her as they walked to his car.

Jake felt awkward letting Lucas help him walk, but he didn't feel steady on his feet. So he leaned on Lucas, albeit reluctantly, because the blood was still flowing freely from his nose. He hoped his blood stained Lucas's sweatshirt. Peyton looked between the two guys, her ex and her new love interest, and felt the uneasyness. They walked back to Peyton's grandma's house in silence, mostly.

Peyton felt relief as they reached the house next door, because it meant they were almost there, but she stopped in her tracks as she saw what was happening in front of the house. Lucas and Jake stopped too, both of them trying to figure out what she was looking at. Jake deciphered the scene first, and started running, instantly forgetting his pain.

Peyton followed him and Lucas was right behind her. Jake was already trying to pull Brooke away when Peyton and Lucas reached them. Peyton immediately jumped into the scuffle to push them apart, but she got elbowed in the face. She barely felt it, but was grateful when Lucas grabbed Rachel around the middle, pulling her away from Brooke. Peyton stood in the middle as Jake pulled Brooke away and Lucas held Rachel back while both women tried to jump back into their fight.

A/N: Okay, sorry, I expected Lucas and Peyton to be together in this chapter, too. I decided a little fighting would stir up the drama though. Next chapter they'll be together, I promise. This fic isn't over yet, though. They have a whole school year to go through away from each other before they can truly be together. So, review, please. The reviews I got for Predestined really inspired me, and I'll update that as soon as possible, so I can get back to this one. Thanks to everyone who reads my fics, whether you review or not, though I would prefer that you review.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. 


	10. Chapter 10

Peyton watched the car drive away, taking Brooke and Jake and all the drama they brought with them. She was not sad to see them go. Rachel had taken off right after Lucas had pulled her off of Brooke, and Peyton needed to have a talk with her, but now was not the time. Lucas had helped her clean Brooke and Jake up, so they could leave, and she still hadn't gotten to talk to him. She turned and saw him sitting on the porch swing.

Peyton walked over slowly, taking the seat next to him. She didn't know where to start, so they swung in silence for a few minutes. She knew Lucas wasn't going to make this any easier for her. She really wanted to just blurt out how she felt. She opened her mouth to do so. Lucas looked over at her, his blue eyes examining her. "Thanks," she said simply, chickening out. Lucas's brow kinked and she continued. "For everything. For caring enough to actually punch him. For sticking around to help me clean him up. For not punching him again. Just thanks," she explained.

Lucas waited a few minutes. "I'd do anything for you, Peyton," he paused, taking a deep breath. "I know that's not why you wanted to talk to me, though, so why don't you just say whatever it is you want to say?" he prodded, trying to get a feel of what she wanted to talk about. He reached out and eased her lip out from between her teeth, hoping his touch would comfort her, trying to let her know that whatever it was, she could tell him.

Peyton looked into his blue eyes and knew more than ever that she wanted to admit her feelings. She opened her mouth again. "So, I take it you've heard about Nathan and Haley. Isn't that great? They really make each other happy. It's nice seeing them together, it kind of reminds me that love is still out there, that I still have a chance at finding it, you know," she said, cursing herself for once again chickening out at she looked away from him.

Lucas sighed. He had been so sure that she had been about to say whatever it was that she needed to say. Looking at her, he could tell she wasn't ready to say it, so he stood. He couldn't be around her anymore, knowing that he couldn't have her. "Listen, I'll see you later," he said, trying to get her to meet his gaze. When she didn't, he turned and walked off of the porch. He glanced up at the sky, looking to the dark rain clouds coming in, wondering if he would make it to the Rivercourt and his car before the rain started. He doubted it. When he made it a few steps away he realized he had to say something else and he called over his shoulder, "I hope you and Jake are happy together," before he continued walking away.

Peyton's gaze snapped up at that. He still thought she was with Jake. Maybe she couldn't tell him how she really felt, but she couldn't allow him to walk away thinking that she was still in love with Jake when she wasn't. "Lucas," she called, and he turned back, looking at her with blue-eyed intensity. The sky was dark, as the heavy rain clouds rolled in, but she could see him perfectly. "I'm not with Jake. I don't love him anymore. That ship sailed a long time ago. He and Brooke belong together," she said, softly, but the wind carried her words to him.

Lucas nodded, waiting for a few moments to see if there was anything else. He finally gave up, turning around again, just as it started sprinkling. He walked a few steps, not wanting to believe that this was really it, wondering if the day could get any worse as the intensity of the rain increased. Peyton didn't want to believe it was over. She stood up, standing on the edge of the porch, watching him walk away. "I love you," she said finally, taking a cautious step off the porch, into the rain and the unknown. Lucas turned to look at her, unwilling to believe his ears. He couldn't have heard her right. "I want to be with you Lucas Scott. I love you, and I'm falling in love with you," she said, louder.

Lucas didn't say anything, he opened his arms, taking a step toward her. Peyton ran toward him, right into his open arms. He wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and spinning her as their lips crashed together. They both got soaked as they stood there, kissing in the rain, but it didn't really matter to either of them in that moment. In fact, as Peyton pulled her lips away from his, resting her forehead against his, she had never loved the rain more. "I'm falling in love with you too, Peyton Sawyer, and I would love nothing more than to be with you," he said, as he held her in his arms, never wanting to let her go.

His warm breath washing over her wet, cold cheeks, causing Peyton to feel a shiver run down her spine, although she knew it had nothing to do with the rain or the cold. She realized her feet weren't even touching the ground; he was carrying her weight. He slowly lowered her to the ground, placing his lips on hers as he did so. Peyton kissed back, instantly deepening the kiss. Kissing Lucas felt even better than she had imagined it would. It felt like pure happiness. He made her feel reckless, yet safe at the same time. She had never imagined she could feel so much happiness, just from one kiss.

Lucas was the first to pull away this time, because of lack of air. He felt her breath, hot and heavy against his cheeks. He pulled her close, completely ignoring the rain falling around them. He never wanted the moment to end. Peyton Sawyer had walked right back into his life at the beginning of the summer, and she had walked straight into his heart. The feeling had just kind of snuck up on him. One day she was just his best friend, the one he shared everything with and then, before he knew it, all he wanted was to be with her, hold her in his arms and never let go. He had never imagined that he could feel this way about another person.

Peyton could feel her heart racing. She pulled away so there was some space between their bodies, taking his right hand in her left, and placing his hand on her chest, over her heart, with her hand over his. Lucas knew immediately what she was doing and he used his left hand to place her right hand over his heart, with his over hers. They stood like that for a few moments, each of them feeling the others racing heart as the rain pounded down around them.

Grace watched the couple, standing out in the rain, with a smile on her face. She had been able to tell from the night Peyton had arrived that they would get togther. She was glad that they had finally figured it out themselves, while they still had time to be together. She knew once school started, things would be hard on them, living in different towns, going to different schools, each with their own drama. Grace also knew, though, that if the pair was truly meant to be, they would make it. She was sure they would, as long as each of them were strong enough.

She didn't want either of them to catch pneumonia, so she stepped out onto the porch. She hated to break them up, while they were figuring things out, but she had seen enough to know that they had things figured out, at least for now. "Dinner's in an hour, get inside and dry off before you catch cold and I have to tell your dad how I let you get sick. Lucas, I assume you'll be staying for dinner?" she called to the couple, who promptly started when she spoke up, both turning to face the house as they dropped their contact.

Lucas and Peyton looked sheepishly at each other as Grace turned to walk into the house, not waiting for a response from either of them. Lucas raised his eyebrows at her, as if asking if he should stay for dinner. Peyton rolled her eyes at the fact that he even had to ask, and took his hand, pulling him into the house. She led him to her room, where she grabbed some clothes to throw on. The only problem would be finding dry clothes for him. Peyton bit her lip. "Well, you can shower first. Leave your wet clothes in the bathroom and after e're in dry clothes I'll throw them in the dryer with mine. In the meantime, I'll ask my grandma if she had some clothes left over that used to be grandpa's and you can wear that," she said.

Lucas nodded and headed for the bathroom down the hall, but Peyton grabbed his arm. "Use the one in here," she gestured to the bathroom attached to her room. "That way if I don't find you some clothes before you get out of the shower, you can come in here. As long as you have a towel around your waist," she said before heading out of her room for the bathroom.

Peyton showered quickly and put her dry clothes on, a pair of cheerleading shorts and a tank top. She realized that she probably hadn't chosen the best thing to wear with her boyfriend, or whatever they were, they hadn't exactly classified it yet, in the house, but she had just grabbed the things at the top of her pajama drawer. Besides, she would have worn it before, when they were only friends, so why should things change. She tried to convince herself of that, even though she knew things had changed. The change was for the better, but it was still a change.

Peyton grabbed her wet clothes and exited the bathroom. She walked into her room so she could grab his wet clothes before throwing heading to the laundry room. Lucas stood when he saw her, and Peyton stopped in her tracks. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and there was water droplets peppering his perfectly sculpted chest. His hair was wet and falling down into his clear blue eyes. She had to remind herself to close her mouth.

Lucas was having the same reaction. Peyton's hair was wet from the shower, but he still thought it looked great. She looked great. Especially because of the outfit she was wearing. His eyes trailed down to her long legs, which seemed to go on forever. She had once told him she hated her calfs, but he just didn't see why. They were perfect. She was perfect. And now, she was his. His grip tightened on the towel around his waist.

Peyton swallowed hard and tried to remember why she had entered her room. She noticed the wet clothes in her hands and the reason suddenly came back to her. She practically ran to her bathroom. "I need to pick up your wet clothes. I'll try to find you something to wear, just give me a minute," she said as she grabbed his wet clothes, before scurrying out of the room, not giving him a chance to reply.

She tried to slow her walk but her feet wouldn't listen to her mind. She felt nervous about being alone with Lucas when he happened to be wearing nothing but a towel. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that yet. She wanted it, espceially with him, but she wasn't sure she could. She threw the clothes into the dryer and threw a fabric softener sheet in with them before closing the door and turning the dryer on. Peyton walked into the kitchen. "Hey, Grandma, do you have any clothes that Lucas can put on?" she asked.

Grace looked at her granddaughter. Peyton's face was flushed. She nodded. "I already gave them to him. I knocked on the door and handed them to him when he opened the door," she paused. "He had clothes that he had left here a long time ago when he was painting the walls for me. I have washed them since, but forgotton to give them to him. So I gave him his own clothes," she explained. Without giving Peyton a chance to respond, she pointed to the cupboard. "Set the table and then go turn on the news. I want to know how long this storm is going to last," she tapped her chin in throught. "You know what, turned on the television in the living room up and turn the volume up so you can hear it while you set the table," she said.

Peyton nodded at her grandmothers instructions before going into the living room so she could turn the T.V. on. Peyton was just finishing with the table when Lucas came into the dining room. She looked over at him, and couldn't help the smile that spead on her face. Lucas smiled back. "Do you need any help?" he asked as he approached her, moving a curl behind her ear just for an excuse to touch her.

Peyton wants to reach up and kiss him, but she doesn't as she reminds herself of where she was. In the backround she could hear the television and she realized they started talking about the storm. She goes into the living room, pulling Lucas behind her, and leans against the arm of the couch with Lucas standing next to her. The weatherman states that a hurricane is close to the coast, and it would be best if no one left their houses for the night. Peyton's gaze met Lucas's, as they both wondered what they were going to do.

Grace entered the living room, holding the phone to her ear. She holds it out to Lucas. "I've talked to your mother and told her you can sleep on the couch. She just wants to talk to you. Once you get off the phone come into the dining room. Dinner is ready," she said as she handed the cordless phone over, gesturing for Peyton to follow her out of the living room.

Peyton followed her grandmother into the kitchen. "Help me," she said, gesturing to the food on the stove and counters. Grace picked up a dish and so did Peyton and they took them to the dining room, setting them on the table. When all the food was on the table, Grace turned to her granddaughter. "Listen here, now, I know I gave my approval on him spending the night, but I'll have no hanky-panky going on in my house while I can hear it. Just keep in mind that I have excellent hearing for someone my age and I do hear when you sneak out in the middle of the night to see your mom," Peyton's eyes widened at the words as Grace paused.

Peyton was speechless as her grandmother's stern face broke into a smile. "That being said, I think Lucas is a great catch, and you guys will be great together. Just remember that as long as you're making each other happy, nothing else matters. True love with make it through anything, and don't hesitate to fight for love if it's something you truly want. Love will always last through to the end, if it's meant to be," she told Peyton, who still couldn't believe the words that had come out of her grandmother's mouth. She was happy Grace approved of her relationship with Lucas, though.

Lucas entered the dining room and they all took seats at the table. Lucas looked between Peyton and Grace and he could tell they had had a moment, but he also knew it wasn't his place to ask what they had talked about. After dinner Peyton made the couch up for Lucas and gave him a pillow. She desperately wanted to kiss him, but she remembered what her grandmother had said, and she knew that Grace was still awake. So she just went to her own room, lying alone in her bed, listening to the storm outside as she tried to fall asleep.

A/N: They're finally together! Are you happy? I would like lots of lovely(or even some not-so-lovely) reviews about what you thought of this chapter. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, and even those who haven't.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. That awesomeness belongs to the CW, and I am not awesome enough to be associated with the CW. 


	11. Chapter 11

Peyton listened to make sure he wasn't coming as she sat on the dryer. She usually liked sitting on the dryer after turning it on because it gave her comfort. She found that it wasn't working. It was too hard to stop thinking about what had happened. She kept replaying it in her mind to see if it was really as bad as she thought. She came to the same conclusion every time. It was.

She wished she could get out of the house, just get away for a little bit. Maybe go to visit her mother. Anywhere but in this house, with him, after what had happened. She couldn't, though, because of the storm. She was stuck in the house, so she had sought out comfort in the dryer, which had always worked before. It wasn't doing much for her now. It didn't keep her mind from replaying the whole scene once again.

FLASHBACK

Peyton got tired of lying in bed, watching the storm rage outside. She couldn't sleep though, because of the storm. She had an idea, and slipped out of bed, quietly creeping toward the living room. She remembered what her grandmother had told her, and even though all she wanted to do was lay with Lucas, she still didn't want her grandmother thinking it was more than that. She would really be okay if he was still asleep. Then she could just slip onto the couch with him, no questions asked.

She wasn't that lucky, though. When Peyton walked into the living room she saw that his eyes were open, and she could see the storm reflected in them. She almost wanted to turn around, but she never got that chance. Before Peyton could even make a sound, or movement, Lucas sensed her presence and looked up at her. Peyton found herself walking toward the couch and, when he lifted up the blanket for her, she climbed in next to him.

Lucas held her close, in silence. Peyton felt comfortable in that silence. Lucas made the storm bearable, almost enjoyable even. For a long time she had hated storms, but, with him, she found them somewhat comforting. Although it may have been his presence that was the comfort. In his arms, she felt the need to talk, not because of awkwardness, she just felt the need to open up to him in ways she hadn't opened up in a long time. "For the longest time, I've avoided storms, and rain, at all costs. Today, though, I braved the rain, for you, and I actually liked it. You made me remember how nice a rain storm could be. You made me see the beauty in it again," she spoke softly and Lucas stayed silent, knowing she needed to continue.

Peyton breathed in his scent before continuing and she felt his grip on her tighten. "When I was little she would always take me out to play in the rain," Lucas didn't need to ask who Peyton was talking about. "She'd tell me that the rain washes away all the sin and pain in the world and leaves it fresh and beautiful and that the end of the storm is signified by a rainbow to show the beauty of it. I would love to go out there, with her, in the rain,"she paused. "She died during a rainstorm," it was the first time she was able to make that statement without crying and she knew that, without Lucas, she would be crying.

Lucas nodded and she knew that it was not out of understanding of what she meant, although she knew he understood. He was nodding because he remembed, and that made Peyton extremely grateful. "I know it's not the rains fault, and I shouldn't have avoided the rain because of that, but I did. I didn't go near the rain, because all it did was remind me of the day my mom died. The day my life changed forever. The day I thought I would never forget, but it seems to be slipping farther and farther away," she broke off, burying her face in his chest.

Lucas rubbed her back reassuringly. When she spoke, Peyton's voice was muffled by his chest, but Lucas heard the words perfectly. "I know that day should be something I would love to forget, but I feel like she's going with it," she paused, pulling away from Lucas and sitting up. "I used to have this picture of her in my mind, that I could see whenever I wanted, and I could hear her voice perfectly along with it. Now, though, it seems to be fuzzy around the edges and I can only her her words, not her voice," he voice wavered and Lucas sat up, too.

Peyton felt the tears welling up in her eyes, but she continued anyway, trying to blink them back. "It's still hard to think about her, and talk about her, but I don't want to forget her. I'd never want to forget her. Maybe if I talk about her, it'll get easier and eventually the pain will go away," her voice finally cracked and she looked away, a tear slipping down her cheek.

Lucas gently took her chin in his hand and moved it so he was looking into her eyes. "Listen to me, Peyton. You could never forget her, you love her too much to forget her. It may be hard to talk about her, but that will never mean that you've forgotten her. I promise you that. She'll always be in your heart," he said, before taking her into his arms, letting her sob into his chest as he rubbed her back, softly whispering comforting words in her ears.

Peyton didn't have the strength to pull away, and she didn't really want to, so she just mumbled into his chest, muffled by her sobs. "What if I do forget, though? I still miss her so much, and talking about her hurts, because I know she's never going to be there, again. I'm never going to see her. I thought coming to Tree Hill would help, somehow. Whether it reminded me of her, or even made it easier to think about her. I thought it would help, and it hasn't," she sobbed, clinging to Lucas like a lifeline.

Lucas closed his eyes as he held her. He just wanted to help her heal. "Peyton, you've got to listen to me. She will always be in your heart. No matter what you do, where you go, how long you live, she'll always be in your heart. You could never forget her simply for the reason that you don't want to," he paused, wondering if he should keep going. Peyton pulled back so she could look in his eyes, and she gave a subtle nod, so he would finish his thought. She needed to hear his opinion. "Even if it hurts, I think you should talk about her. Whether it's only a off-handed comment about something that reminds you of her, or a full conversation about everything you remember. You feel like you need to keep her memory alive, so maybe you should," he said softly.

Peyton didn't know what to say. That was exactly what she had needed to hear, she realized, and she loved how much he knew about her. Peyton did the only thing that felt right. Slowly, looking up into his eyes, she leaned forward, bringing her lips to his. The kiss quickly grew more heated and before she knew it, Peyton was lying back down, pulling Lucas with her, their lips still attached. That's when it all went wrong.

Peyton immediately began to feel suffocated as the old memories washed over her. Even though Lucas was holding his own weight off of her, it felt like she couldn't breathe with the memory of him on her. She slammed her eyes shut, barely containing the urge to scream and shoved away, forcing herself off of the couch. She jumped to her feet, trying to put space between herself and Lucas. She didn't even look at him as she muttered, "I can't," and scurried out of the room.

END FLASHBACK

Now, about an hour, or maybe more, later, she still hadn't heard him approach. She knew it was because he was trying to give her time, but part of her wanted him to come find her. She just wanted to finally be able to tell someone. She knew as soon as she saw him she would be spilling her guts again. She would tell him everything and she couldn't help but want to get it off her chest.

She heard footsteps and suddenly he was standing in the doorway to the laundry room. Peyton's gaze snapped to him and suddenly she wished she had more time. Staring at his silouhette, she realized she had thought too soon. She swallowed roughly, moving to slide off of the dryer, despite her nervousness. She knew that whether she wanted to or not, she needed to tell him the truth.

Lucas stepped forward as she started to slid to the ground, and placed his hands on her waist, pushing her back before sliding up next to her. He took her hand, for comfort, and stroked her palm with his thumb. Peyton opened her mouth to speak up, but he spoke first. "You don't have to tell me what happened back there if you don't want to. Although, keep in mind I am here to listen if you do want to. I just need to know one thing," he paused, taking his gaze off of their hands, intertwined, and looked up into her eyes. "Did you really mean what you said, earlier, outside the house?" he asked, somewhat hesitantly.

Peyton didn't hestiate before nodding. She hated that he was second guessing her feelings and she hated that she had given him a reason to. She would be wondering about his feelings, too, if he had poured his heart out to her, kissed her, and then ditched her. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, trying to think of the best way to respond. "Of course I meant it," she started. With a sigh, she added, "I guess there are some things I still have to tell you." She started playing with his fingers as she spoke.

Lucas waited patiently and it went without saying that he was waiting for her to continue. She took in a deep breath before she went into the story, leaving out most of the details about Jake because he knew some and the others just weren't necessary for the story. When she finally finished, tears were flowing freely down her face and she was trying her hardest not to cry too loudly as she kept her head on Lucas's shoulder. She felt something wet hit her head and Peyton looked up, noticing the tears that were silently making their way down Lucas's cheeks.

Looking closer, Peyton could see the anger in his eyes as well. She just waited for his reaction, a little scared about what it would be. Lucas noticed that and tried to give her a reassuring smile, but he couldn't quite manage that, so he gave her hand a squeeze instead, so she would know that he would be here for her no matter what. "You mean to tell me that you were raped and you didn't even tell the police?" he asked, the anger in his voice as he said those words almost making her flinch. Peyton knew he wasn't angry at her though, he was angry at what happened to her.

Peyton looked down at their hands, and nodded slowly. "I just, I couldn't. It was too hard to say, and he was put into jail anyway. I thought I could just bury it and maybe one day I would forget," she paused. "More than anything, I just didn't want anyone looking at me differently. I can't stand pity, and I knew my dad, for one, would never look at me the same way if he knew," she said, trying to look into his eyes and see if the way he looked at her had changed.

Lucas reached up and caressed her cheek, letting her know that it didn't change the way he felt about her. "Nothing could change the way I feel about you," he whispered, just in case she needed any clarification. He didn't want to let the subject die, though. "Are you absolutely sure that he's put behind bars? Are you sure he won't be able to hurt you again?" he asked the question that had really been nouncing around in his mind.

Peyton wasn't sure how to answer. In all honesty, she still had nightmares about him, and she was scared all the time that he would find her again. She didn't want to share her uncertaintities with Lucas though, even though she was sure he could see it in her eyes. "I'll be fine," she offered a small smile. "The police officer called me and told me that he'll be in jail for a long time," she added.

Lucas held her gaze for a long time and, as nervous as she was, because of the topic, Peyton managed to keep staring back. Finally, Lucas saw whatever it was he needed to see in her eyes, and he pulled her close, dropping the subject. "Why don't we go back to the couch and lie down. We can try to maybe get some sleep," he said, sliding off of the dryer and onto the floor then turning back to her, holding out his hand for her to take. Peyton hesitated slightly before taking his hand and sliding onto the floor also. Lucas had seen something in her eyes that he had never wanted to see, and the question slipped off of his tongue before he could even think about it. "Peyton, you know I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do. You know that, right?"

Peyton's face softened at the sincerity of the question and she could hear the anguish in his voice at the thought. She offered him a small smile and squeezed his hand tighter. "Of course," she said, pulling him into the living room. The truth was, she had been more worried about herself. She was worried that she would start something she would be unable to finish. She did just want to lie down with him, though, and she was extremely relieved that he understood that.

A/N: Okay, I'm going to end this chapter here. The next one will pick up about a week after this. I know you all want Peyton to tell someone about what happened. So she told Lucas. I can't tell you whether or not something will happen, though, because I don't want to give away too much. So leave lots of reviews and maybe I'll get the next chapter up that much sooner.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I am very very very excited about the new episode tonight. It might even inspire me to write faster. 


	12. Chapter 12

Peyton made a shot, smirking when it made it through the hoop. The smirk slid off her face when she realized that she now had to ask him a question. She caught the ball off the reboud and tossed it to him instead. "I don't have a question, you go," she lied. She definately had a question. For example, why hadn't he asked her out yet. It had been over a week since that rainstorm and while they had been hanging out practically every day, holding hands and doing some couply type things, he hadn't asked her on an actual date yet. She didn't necessarily want some fancy date, or anything, she just wanted to know what was going on between them.

She couldn't ask him that, though, not while playing some stupid game. So she just walked over to the bleachers and sat down with a sigh. Lucas followed, dribbling the basketball as he walked over to her. "Something wrong, gorgeous?" he asked, dropping the ball and taking one of her hands as he sat next to her. He started playing with her fingers, but Peyton pulled her hand away. Lucas wrapped his arm around her, looking at her. "Come on, Blondie, you can tell me anything," he added.

Peyton took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning to look at him, a smile on her face. "Nope, nothing to tell. Everything's good, really," she said before leaning in for a kiss. When she pulled away she stood up and retrieved the ball from where he had dropped it. "Let's play some one on one," she suggested as she began dribbling the ball.

Lucas shook his head as he stood as well. "No, I have a better idea. You might not have a question for me, but I have a question for you," he said as he took the ball from her. He stood where he was and tossed the ball without looking at the basket. They both heard it go in, but neither of them broke the eye contact. Peyton raised her eyebrow in curiousity, wondering what the question was. "Peyton Sawyer, will you go out on a date with me tonight?" he asked.

Peyton froze, her eyes still locked on his. Did he read minds, or something? How did he know what she had been thinking just seconds before. That was just Lucas, she realized. He always seemed to know what she wanted, or needed, and he always did her best to make sure she got it. She broke into a grin, nodded adamantly. "Yes, Lucas Scott, I would love to go on a date with you? What time do you wanna pick me up? What will we be doing?" she realized she was starting to ramble and stopped.

Lucas grinned at her. He had been hoping she'd say yes, and he was relieved that she did. "Is 7 okay for you?" he asked as he took her hand, just wanting the contact. Before she could answer though, Peyton's phone started ringing. She smiled sheepishly before sliding her phone out of her pocket and answering it. She turned slightly as she talked to whoever was on the other end before shutting the phone and putting it back in her pocket, turning to face Lucas once more. Lucas could tell that she was about to leave so he pulled her in for a kiss.

Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss. She began playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, running her fingers through it. She reluctantly pulled away. "As much as I would love to continue this, that was Rachel. I promised I'd spend some time with her because I seem to have been neglecting her this past week," she said, a smile playing on her lips as she spoke, Lucas's hot breath washing over her cheeks.

Lucas nodded and gave her one last kiss before playfully shoving her away. "Go ahead, Blondie. In fact, speaking of best friends, I should probably spend some time with mine. The only thing she'll want to talk about is the upcoming wedding, I'm sure, but I guess I'll have to live with that," he said with a laugh. "I'll see you at seven," he added as she got into her Comet.

Peyton gave a last wave before driving off. She was happy that Lucas had finally asked her out. Actually, she was just plain happy. Things actually seemed to be going good, for once, and it was a nice feeling. She got another call as she was driving. She wasn't going to answer because she didn't want to cause an accident, but when she saw the caller ID she flipped the phone open. "Hey Dad, how's it going?" she asked. After talking to her dad for a few minues she pulls up in front of Rachel's cabin. "Hey, I have to go, I'm kinda in the middle of something, but call me back some time," she said in a teasing voice. She let hr dad respond before she hung up the phone, tossing it into the passenger's seat of he Comet without thinking twice about it.

Rachel was waiting on the porch and she saw the bounce in Peyton's step as Peyton approached the cabin. "Hey, whore, what's got you so excited?" she looked closer. "Well, you haven't been laid yet, so I'm guessing you and Lucas have a date?" she asked, her eyebrows raised as she looked Peyton over, while casually leaning against the house.

Peyton rolled her eyes at Rachel's bluntness, but she was used to it. Besides, even if she wasn't uses to it, nothing could take away from her happiness. "Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner," she used her sarcasm, letting Rachel know she was correct. "He's picking me up at seven adn I have absolutely no idea what I'm wearing, so you, slut," she added that in just to get Rachel back for the whore comment, "are going to help me decide what to wear," she said as she reached Rachel.

Rachel dropped the casuality and broke into a grin as she hugged Peyton. "You bet yous fat ass I'll help you get ready," she said before practically dragging Peyton into the house. "I've missed being your best friend. It's been way too long since I've played dress up with you as my mannequin" she teased. When she got into her room she pushed Peyton onto the bed and began searching through her closet. "I don't have nearly as much clothes here as I do back home, but I'm sure I'll find something," she added as she began pulling items out.

Peyton rolled her eyes at Rachel. "Rach, it's only four, we don't need three hours to get me ready. Chill out," she said, lounging out on the bed. Rachel just kept digging through her closet. Peyton bit her lip. It couldn't hurt to have the extra time. She watched Rachel from the bed, but stood up when Rachel tossed a top into the 'no' pile. "Hey, that's nice, why don't you like it?" she asked.

OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH OTH

Peyton heard the knock on the door and Grace called through the house that she would get it, so Peyton stayed in front of the mirror, once again checking her reflection. She tried to calm her nerves, but she had a hard time doing that. Rachel and Peyton had picked out an outfit out of Rachel's closet and then come back to Peyton's house to get her ready. Rachel had barely left ten minutes ago and it was not quite seven yet, but Peyton knew it was Lucas at the door. She had been really excited for the date and while she was still excited, she was now a bundle of nerves also.

She heard Grace call that Lucas was here, and she took a deep breath before grabbing her purse and leaving the room, flicking off the light as she left. She slowly walked down the hallway, seeing her grandmother and her date standing in the foyer. They were talking and she cleared her throat as she approached, trying to get their attention.

Lucas was awestruck as he saw her. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a short black skirt that showed off her long legs perfectly and a green halter top that brought out the color of her eyes. Her green strappy heels matched the shirt and made her legs seem even longer. Her hair was as curly as normal, but it had been pulled up into a low bun, leaving only a few curls hanging down, framing her face. Her make-up was flawless and the whole effect left him wondering what he had done to deserve her.

Grace smiled at her granddaughter, and the effect she had on Lucas. "Have a good time, you two, and Lucas, don't keep her out too late," she said as she made to leave the room. She stopped when she reached Peyton, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, being careful because of her make-up. "You look gorgeous, doll, and don't be so nervous," she whispered before leaving the young couple alone.

Peyton looked up at Lucas, nervously chewing on her bottom lip as she waited for his reaction. Lucas didn't speak as he took a step toward her. He reached up and gently removed her lip from between her teeth before holding his hand out toward her. "Are you ready?" he asked softly, his eyes meeting hers. Peyton smiled and took his hand, ready for whatever he had planned.

Lucas leads her to his car and Peyton gets in the passenger's seat, after Lucas opens the door for her. When Lucas gets in she looked at him, the excitement building again. "Where are we going?" she asks as he starts driving. Lucas just shakes his head, with a chuckle. "Luke, come on, tell me," she whines and pretends to pout, folding her arms across her chest.

Lucas laughs, amused at her antics. "Sorry, Blondie. You'll just have to see when we get there. It's a surprise," he said, taking one hand off the wheel and reaching over, caressing her cheek before putting his hand on the wheel again. Peyton doesn't say anything and Lucas just continues driving. Neither of them give in and the rest of the ride is silent until Lucas parks the car.

Peyton glanced around. "Our first date and you take me to the Rivercourt? We spend practically all our time here," she said, trying not to sound disappointed. She had just expected something more romantic. Lucas quickly slips a blindfold over her eyes before she could get a really good look around. "Lucas, I've been here before, what is up with the blindfold?" she asked, reaching up to take it off.

Lucas grabs her hand before she can. "Please, just trust me and leave it on. It won't be for long, I promise. I'll be right back," he says before getting out of the car. Peyton has the strong urge to take the blindfold off, but, for his sake, she leaves it on. She's relieved when she hears the door open and he places a hand on her arm to help her out. Lucas directs her to the middle of the court, and then takes the blindfold off.

Peyton looks around in amazement. There are lit candles lining the court and rose petals all around, in varying colors. In the center of the court, where she is standing, there is a blanket spread out, and on that blanket is a picnic basket. She looks at Lucas, throwing her arms around his neck as she smells what's in the basket. "Is that what I think it is?" she asks, looking down at the basket.

Lucas grinned at her excitement and helped her sit down before sitting down on the blanket next to her, opening up the basket. Lasagna, taco salad and garlic bread, your favorites," he said as he took a container with each item out. He pulled out a couple of plates and dished her up some, handing her the plate before making his own. Peyton took a bite and moaned. "Yup, I asked your grandmother to make it," he answered before she could ask. "Oh, and I forgot," he said, setting down his plate before pulling out a pitcher of Grace's sweet tea.

Peyton was amazed, with everything. She couldn't believe that Lucas had gone to such lengths to make her happy. She couldn't believe he remembered her favorite foods. She had only mentioned them that first night when she had arrived and yet he still remembered. "Thank you, Lucas, this is amazing," she said after she had finished chewing.

Lucas reached up and used his thumb to wipe a glob of sauce that had gathered in the corner of her mouth. "Anything for you, Peyton. I mean that," he said, leaning over to give her a kiss before she started devouring her food again. "This isn't even the last stop, this is just dinner," he said before they both went back to their meals.

When they finished eating Lucas blew out all the candles and packed everything up, putting it in the trunk of his car before he got in and started driving again. "Before you even ask, just wait, and you'll see where we're going when we get there," he said, before she could open her mouth. Peyton playfully stuck her tongue out at him, but the last surprise had worked out pretty well, so she didn't protest.

A few minutes later, Lucas was pulling to a stop at the beach. Peyton looked over at him, the question in her eyes. "Well, this used to be one of your favorite places, and I just thought it'd be nice to come here, since you haven't been here all summer," he explained, getting out of the car and walking around it before opening her door for her.

Peyton couldn't believe he had remembered so many things about her. She bent down, taking off her heels and leaving them in the car before taking his hand and walking with him toward the beach. Peyton walked at the edge of the water, feeling it lap at her ankles when the tide came in. She took in a deep breath, loving the smell of the beach. They had walked for a long time in silence before Peyton stopped. When Lucas turned to face her she threw her arms around his neck, holding on tight. "Thank you," she whispered the words into his ear.

Lucas wrapped his arms rightly around her waist, pulling her so close that her feet lifted off the ground. "I love you, Peyton Sawyer. I think I have since before I knew what love was," the words slipped out of his mouth. Peyton froze and Lucas could feel it. He didn't let her go, though. "You don't have to say anything back. I just wanted you to know," he said, placing a kiss into her hair before letting her go.

Peyton took a step back and looked at him. She was pretty sure she felt the same way, but she wasn't sure she was ready to say them back. She took a couple seconds before opening her mouth. Lucas placed a finger over her lips. "Just," he paused, "wait before saying anything back. Right now let's just leave it at that," he said, removing his hand only when he was sure she would stay silent.

Lucas took her hand and started leading her back to the car. She started to shiver as the breeze blew in and when they reached his car he opened the trunk, pulling out the sweatshirt that she had just given back to him the week before. He helped her pull it on and then gave her a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "Come on, Blondie, I told Grace you'd be back at a reasonable time, and I'll be the dead one if we break that promise," he said, opening the passenger side door for her.

Peyton smiled at him, before getting in the car. "Well, we can't have that, now can we," she said, a lightness in her tone as he closed the door. She was more tired than she was letting on, though, and agreed that it was time for the date to come to an end, as perfect as it had been. She leaned over as Lucas drove, resting her head on his shoulder and looping her arm through his, although still giving him enough room to move his arm so he could drive.

Lucas pulled to a stop in front of the house and quickly got out of the car, hurrying around to the other side so he could help her out. Peyton smiled up to him as she took his hand. "I know I've been allowing it all night, but what did I tell you about opening the car door for me?" she asked, a teasing quality to her tone telling him that she didn't mind.

Lucas smirked at her, that smirk that she really loved. "Well, I thought I had told you that I open the car door for my girlfriend," he shot back. Peyton didn't know what to say. She wasn't aware he had actually asked her, and she knew this wasn't really a time for the sarcastic remarks she would normally come up with. Lucas noticed her silence and recognized his blunder. "I guess I should have asked you first, huh?' he mumbled, mainly to himself. "Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, turning to face her as they reaached the door.

Peyton paused slightly, only to make him sweat it out a bit. "Yes, Lucas Eugene Scott, I will be your girlfriend," she said, giving him a kiss before turning around and walking into the house, a grin on her face. She kept grinning as she walked to her bedroom. When she entered the doorway and saw Him, that's when the grin slid off her face. Her shoes, which she had been holding, slipped through her now limp fingers. "No," she screamed, right before he hit her in the face, making her world go black.

A/N: Ohh, cliff hanger! Don't hate me, I was just hoping it would get me more reviews. I was hoping to hit 100 before I post the next chapter, so if you guys could help me with that, it'd be great. What do you thinks going to happen? Will she be raped again or will Lucas save her? I guess you'll just have to wait and find out.

Disclimer: I own everything. One Tree Hill, Lucas and especially Nathan. Not. 


	13. Chapter 13

Peyton opened her eyes, but quickly shut them again. She didn't know where she was, or what had happened. All she knew was that her jaw hurt, a lot. She tried to reach up to massage it, but found her hands tied behind her back. The memories washed over her and her eyes popped back open in fear. Sure enough, there he was, standing over her. The ropes were digging into Peyton's wrists as she tried to pulled her hands free so she could block herself from him. She tried to open her mouth to scream, but there was a gag covering it.

Ian smiled when he saw she was awake. He leaned over her, caressing her cheek. Peyton saw a knife in his other hand. Tears started leaking from her eyes as the old memories washed over her. As she felt his breath on her cheeks she felt like vomiting. "I've been watching you, Peyton. Did you think you could get away?" his breath was hot on her ear and he left wet sloppy kisses on the side of her face.

Peyton was sobbing and she worked her mouth so the cloth fell off. "Please, don't. Not again. Please," she sobbed, keeping her eyes on the knife. "What did you do to my grandmother?" she would feel even worse if he had harmed her. Ian didn't reply right away, he kept kissing her, while Peyton tried to move her face away, but she knew the effort was useless. She was just as defenseless as she had been the first time. Actually, she was even more so this time. The last time she hadn't been tied up.

Ian crashed his mouth into hers and Peyton felt her teeth cut her tongue, but that was the least of her problems. As he forced his tongue into her mouth Peyton felt herself gag, but she didn't try to move away. The only movement she made was her hands, trying to work the knot out of the rope. Ian pulled back, slapping her across the face. He laughed at the tears that kept falling down her cheeks. "You brought this on yourself, Peyton. We could have been happy together, but you had to stab me, didn't you," he shook his head. "We could have had it all, but you had Jake," he scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Peyton didn't know what to do. She wanted to cry out and yell, but knew he would only gag her again if she did. She nearly shouted with relief when she got her hand free. She exercised her self-control, though, and managed to only repeat the question about her grandmother. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to figure out what to do now that her hand was free. She realized she could reach her back, and had never been more relieved that she kept her cell phone tucked in the waistband of this skirt in the back.

Ian didn't even realize her hands were free as she retrieved her cell phone from the waistband of her skirt, doing her best to flip it open while making it look like her hands were still tied. He decided to humor her and answer her question. "Don't worry about Grace. I just slipped a sleeping pill into her tea. She'll be fine, albeit, she should be out for a good long time. Long enough for me to torture you some before killing you," the words just rolled off his tongue, as if he was talking about nothing more serious than the color of the sky.

Peyton's eyes widened and she nrealy dropped the phone. She tightened her grip on it and pressed the speed dial. She only hoped Lucas was the first one on speed dial. She had been meaning to change it from Brooke to Lucas for a long time, and she couldn't remember if she actually had or not. She knew Ian expected a reply and she had to say something as she desperately held her hand over the speaker on her phone, hoping he wouldn't hear the ringing before a connection could be made.

Peyton swallowed past the lump in her throat, and she could taste the salty tears that had slipped into her mouth. "Ian, come oe, please. You don't have to kill me. You're right. I think we would make a great couple," she said, trying to make her voice sound seductive through the tears. She needed him to trust her. Before he could say anything else, though, she could hear Lucas's voice coming out of her phone. Before Ian could process where the noise was coming from, she pulled the phone to her ear. "Lucas, help me. He's back. In my room," she managed to get those words out in a frantic yell before Ian grabbed the phone from her.

She could see the anger in his eyes as he turned the phone off before throwing it into the wall. It broke into many pieces and hit the floor. Peyton felt her last hope break with that phone. She couldn't be sure that Lucas had heard her, or even if he had, if he had understood her. She had to tell herself that he had though, and he would come and save her. That was the only thing she had left to hang on to.

Ian turned back to Peyton, and hit her again. Peyton could feel her jaw shatter. "You shouldn't have done that, Peyton," he said, the anger making his voice shake. He hit her again, and again. Peyton knew she was going to be horribly bruised and sore for a long time, but it didn't matter, as long as Lucas saved her. "Now I just have to kill you sooner," he reached out, grabbing her hair and pulling her mouth up to his, kissing her violently.

Peyton wanted to use her arms to push him away, but with all the pain, she couldn't even think straight. There was nothing she could do as he threw her face down on the bed, retying her hands behind her, the rope cutting tightly into her wrists. He roughly flipped her over again before straddling her legs so he was sitting on her thighs, her skirt pushed up, holding the knife above her as her forcibly used his other hand to move her face, so she was looking up at her.

Ian laughed and Peyton cringed. The sound had no humor in it. She wanted him to let go of her face. He was hurting her. She wouldn't ask, though. She just laid there, motionless, waiting for him to do whatever her planned on doing. "You asked for it, you know. You're nothing but a tease, Peyton," he said, looking down at her outfit. "You asked for everything I did to you, and for eveything I'm about to do to you," he traced the knife along her jawline, down her neck and down her chest, to the waistband of her skirt.

Using the knife to cut the top, he ripped the skirt off of her, exposing her entire lower body. He eyed her hungrily, wanting to take her again, but knew he was running out of time. So he brought the knife up again, before bringing it down into her gut. Peyton let out a single scream, but other than that she didn't respond. She had gone catatonic, numb to everything he did to her. In her mind she went to another place. In that special place she was with Lucas. His words still made it through her minds boundries, though.

Blood poured from her stab wound staining the grey sweatshirt she still had on, but Ian didn't immediately stab her again. "You know what, I've seen you with that guy, that Lucas. He's nothing. You won't even let him touch you. I understand that, though. Now that you've had me you don't want anyone else," he chuckled humorlessly. "You ruined it, Peyton, you ruined everything, because you were scared. I didn't want to do this to you," he paused, watching her blood stain the sweatshirt, forming a sizeable pool. "You want to know how I got out of jail?" he asked.

Peyton's eyes immediately snapped up, and she looked at him, her gaze letting him know her answer. That was the one thing she couldn't figure out. He opened his mouth again. "Miss Sawyer, I just wanted to let you know that we got Ian Banks down here at the station. He'll be locked up for a good long time," he mimmicked the officer that had called Peyton before laughing. Peyton felt the tears slipping out of her eyes as the blood left her, leaving her feeling more weak by the minute.

She tried to slip away to that safe place in the back of her mind again, but before she could, she felt Ian's weight being thrown off of her. She looked up to where he had been and saw Lucas's blue eyes. She had never been more happy to see those eyes and the tears soon became tears of relief. Lucas immediately saw the blood staining his sweatshirt and closed the distance between the two, lifting up the sweatshirt and her top so he could see the wound.

As he examined the wound, Peyton's hand found his. Lucas squeezed her hand softly, letting her know everything would be alright, even though the wound looked pretty bad. "I called the cops, they'll be here soon, with an ambulance, I'm sure. You're going to be alright, Peyton," he told her reassuringly, leaning down to give her a soft kiss on the forehead.

When he leaned back up, Peyton's eyes widened. She tried to warn him, but her voice wouldn't work. She lifted her hand to point, but before Lucas could realize what she meant, Ian had slammed the taser into Lucas's gut, letting the volts into him. Lucas went down and Ian glanced around for his knife. Peyton wanted to get up and jump on Ian, but she couldn't. She barely had the ability to sit up. Once she got into a sitting position, she managed to use her nightstand to stand up, her other arm trying to stop the blood flow.

Ian was distracted by the sound of sirens, but then he spotted his knife. Peyton's fear moved her and she took a step and another before falling, knocking Ian's legs out from under him. Ian hit his head hard on the corner of her dresser as he fell. Peyton was pretty sure he was out for the count, and she heard the sirens coming closer, so she crawled her way over to Lucas, who was still on the ground. Lucas moaned and Peyton reached out taking his hand before the rest of her strength left her and she passed out.

Lucas came to as the police officers and EMT's came into the room. He felt Peyton's hand in his and looked down at her as he sat up. Her eyes were closed and he was scared that she had died before he saw her hair being blown out of her face by her weak breath. He gestured to the EMT. "She'e been stabbed. She's lost a lot of blood and she needs help," he said and a couple of them came over checking Peyton out. One called for a stretcher as Lucas tried to stand. He was still weak from being hit by the taser.

A poilce officer noticed that he was the only conscious one and walked over, asking what happened. Lucas explained what he knew and the police officer said that Ian would be taken in for questioning as soon as they figured out if he was alright. The stretcher came in and Peyton was put on it before they wheeled her out of the room. It killed Lucas to see her looking like that, and he would never forgive himself ifshe didn't make it. He wished he had never left, or that he had at least gotten there sooner.

A thought suddenly occurred to him and he realized that the psycho must have done something Grace. He quickly left the room, despite the officers and EMTs who were asking him questions. He found Grace in her room, lying in bed and he could see that her breathing was normal. He started shaking her shoulders and she woke with a start, although she still looked a little groggy. "Lucas, what's going on? What it is it?" she asked quickly noticing his frantic state. She could also hear all the people in the house.

Lucas looked at her sadly as he realized the psycho must have drugged the poor old lady. She looked more disporiented than Lucas had ever seen her. Although, it could have been worse. She could have been dead. Lucas briefly explained that Peyton was hurt and being taken to the hopsital and Grace jumped up faster than any old woman Lucas had ever seen. She hurried out of her room, Lucas following her.

The ambulance carrying Peyton had already left and the police tried to talk to Grace, but she quickly shut them down, telling them she was on her way to the hospital to check on her granddaughter, and anyone in her way better get out of it or get hurt. Lucas had personally never seen her so fired up. He jumped into the passengers seat of the car she never drove anymore just to make sure she didn't leave without him. "Are you even supposed to be driving?" he asked as she pealed out of the driveway, speeding down the street. She ignored the question and Lucas took that as a no.

They made it to the hospital and Grace wernt straight to the front desk, disregarding the line. "I want to know where my grandbaby is and how she's doing," she demanded in a tone that let everyone know not to argue with her. "Her name is Peyton Sawyer," she added as an afterthought. Lucas was glad that he was with her instead of against her.

They were informed that she was in surgery and they would have to wait for the doctor to finish up, although the nurse was very timid as she said this, slightly afraid that Grace would bite her head off for not having any answers. Grace stared at the nurse for a minute before nodding with a sigh, and walking over to the waiting room. Lucas followed her, collapsing in a chair, his legs being unable to hold him any longer. Grace didn't sit; she paced the waiting room for hours as they waited for news. Finally, some time near dawn, a doctor came out. "Is someone here for Peyton Sawyer?"

A/N: So, is she alright? Hmm... this is similar to the last chapter of my other fic. Not exactly the events, but it's a cliffhangar, and leaves you wanting more, right? I mean, you do want more, right? Well, I will try to update as soon as possible, if you guys leave me lots of reviews. I'm still one review away from 100, and though I told myself I would wait until 100, I guess that is good enough. Plus, I really want to post this chapter. So, review please, they help me write. Thank you for all the reviews I have already gotten.

Disclaimer: Two words: Not mine. 


	14. Chapter 14

Peyton was staring out the window, as she had done so often in these past few weeks. She couldn't believe things had changed so much, so fast. One day she was perfectly happy, the next she just wasn't. It had been almost three weeks since the accident and while she knew her wounds were healing, they would forever leave scars. She hadn't been outside much since the accident, although that wasn't because of Lucas's lack of trying to get her outside. She just hadn't wanted to. She preferred to watch it from the window.

She knew she needed to get out of the house, especially since she was leaving in a couple of days. She just couldn't stop thinking about Ian. He had fooled her once. What if he wasn't really in jail? Lucas told her he had seen Ian behind bars, but she knew she wouldn't truly believe it until he was locked up for good, and she saw it for herself. She just wan't ready to face that yet. Lucas entering the room brought her out of her thoughts, but she didn't acknowledge his presence, choosing to instead keep her eyes on the birds nest outside her window.

Lucas slipped into the room and he knew she knew he was there. He took the time as he approached her to study her, though. Her bruises had faded and the cuts had healed, but he knew she hadn't healed on the inside. He had spent a lot of time with her in the past three weeks, mainly in this bedroom, and she had mostly been silent. He could understand that, though. He still remembered what the doctor had told him on that fateful day.

FLASHBACK

At the sound of Peyton's name, both Grace and Lucas stood and walked over to the doctor. The doctor eyed Lucas warily before looking at Grace, but Grace just waved a hand for him to go on. She knew that Lucas wouldn't leave until he heard about Peyton's condition, and it would save her from explaining it to him later. The doctor cleared his throat and glanced down at the clipboard in his hands before speaking. "Well, first let me say it was very lucky that she got here when she did. She had lost a lot of blood, and if the transfusion had been put off any longer we could have lost her," he said.

Grace stood looking stoic and Lucas suddenly understood why Peyton never let her emotions show. She had learned it from her grandmother. "She should be able to make a full recovery, though. The stab wound was a couple inches long, but only three inches deep. It missed all her vital organs. So, she'll just have to be bandaged up for a while," he paused, looking over his clipboard. It was clear he was avoiding telling them something.

Lucas couldn't handle the suspense anymore. "Would you just stop beating around the bush," he snapped impatiently. "Please," he added as an afterthought, trying to soften his voice. The doctor looked at him sternly and Grace sent him an admonishing glance before turning back to the doctor, gesturing for him to continue. Lucas didn't understand how she could be so calm. All he wanted to do right now was see Peyton.

The doctor returned his gaze to Grace and consulted the clipboard again. "She's got some major bruising and while her jaw isn't broke, it'll be sore for at least a few weeks. She seems to have bit her tongue pretty badly when she was being hit, but that should heal without stitches. I'd recomend that she doesn't participate in any physical activity while she heals," he threw a glance at Lucas, who looked down at his feet, immediately understanding his meaning, "and she should probably eat only soft foods for a while," he paused, finally coming to the hardest part.

The doctor adjusted his glasses before continuing. "The wounds and buises should heal up fine, although there might be some scarring. It's not that that worries me, however. I am more worried about her psyche. It seems she has been through this before," he paused, somewhat uncomfortable. "While she was being examined it came to our attention that, not this time, but the last time, she was raped." Grace couldn't hide the gasp, and Lucas closed his eyes, hoping she wouldn't look at him. "So, it's really more of her psyche we'e worried about. She might not be herself for a while. We're hoping that eventually she'll be able to come to terms with what happened, and get back to normal, but if that doesn't happen, I suggest sending her to a therapist," he said.

Grace couldn't speak for a moment, and when she did, she only asked to see Peyton. The doctor nodded and led them back to Peyton's room, before he was called away to his other duties. Grace carefully opened the door, and Lucas had to brace himself before following her in. He froze in his tracks at the sight of her. She looked so beat down, so broken. She looked small in the bed, especially with all the moniters and tubes attatched to her. As he stepped closer, he could see the bruises and cuts more clearly, but he almost wished he couldn't. It tore at his heart to see her like that, and he wished he had come to save her sooner.

END FLASHBACK

Lucas rested a hand on her shoulder when he reached her. Peyton didn't react to his touch, or move as he started tenderly brushing out her curls with his fingers. Peyton hadn't showered in days and she hadn't brushed her hair in the same amount of time. She was slowly letting herself go. Lucas turned her chair, forcing her to look at her, her empty green eyes meeting his concerned blue ones. He backed up until he reached the bed, then climbed onto it, motioning for her to follow him.

Peyton stood, leaning against the wall beside her for support as she made her way to the bed. She may have been losing her way, but there was one thing that made her feel as if everything would be all right. That thing was being in Lucas's arms. They spent more time just lying in her bed, trying to heal her, in the past three weeks than anything else. So Lucas scooted to the far side of the bed and she crawled in next to him underneath the blankets, letting him pull her close.

Lucas loved having her in his arms. It gave him hope. There were periods of time when she would look up at him, and he would see the old Peyton in those green eyes, and he knew everything would be okay. There was a slight problem, though. He didn't know where they stood, relationship-wise. He never pressured her to do anything, of course, and he hadn't talked about the two of them since it happened. He didn't want to push her over the edge. He had to know, though. She was leaving soon, and he had to know before she left.

After lying together for a while, Lucas decided it was time to breach the subject. "Peyton, I don't want to pressure you in any way, but I need to know where we stand? Are we together or just friends?" he asked softly, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He just wanted to know one way or the other, and he hoped she realized that he wasn't trying to push her into doing something she wasn't ready for.

Peyton pushed away and sat up, her back facing him. "I-I don't know," she said honestly. She wasn't sure how she would be able to move on from this. She could have died. She almost did die. In a way, Ian really had taken away her life, and she was letting him. She didn't know how to act normal anymore, though. She could barely remember what normal was. "I just wish things would go back to the way they used to be, back to normal," she said in a broken whisper.

Lucas sat up, getting frustrated because she kept shutting him out. She wouldn't let herself heal. "Peyton, he's locked up now. He can't hurt you anymore. You're letting him take your life away. You're letting him win. You want normal? You have to take it back, or make a new normal. You can't keep going on like this, though. Do you honestly think your mom would want you to be like this? Peyton, I'll love you, and I'll wait for you forever, but this shell of a person isn't you. The Peyton I know and love is strong, and would be able to beat this. Go face your fears and see him if you need to," he paused, trying to compose himself when he saw she was flinching at his harsh words. "Just, let me know when the real Peyton is back, or at least when you're trying to get her back," he added in a softer tone before turning and leaving the bedroom.

Peyton watched the door slam and broke down, for the first time since she had been attacked. She cried on her bed for hours, knowing that everything he said was perfectly true. She couldn't allow fear to rule her. She knew Lucas hadn't saved her just so she would throw her life away. She hadn't died for a reason. She wanted to fix things, but she felt so ashamed with her actions. She needed to take her life back.

Eventually she decided she had to start with small steps. She knew she would have to visit Ian in prison before she left, but first she had to take a shower. After she was clean and dressed, she went into the kitchen, to find Grace cooking, with her back to Peyton. With a smile, Peyton came into the kitchen, startling Grace. "Whatcha cooking?" she asked as she hopped up onto the counter.

Grace studied her granddaughter for a moment. She could tell something was different, but it was a good different, so she decided it was not the time to comment. She did grin, though, before declaring that she would make all of Peyton's favorites for dinner. Peyton grinned back at her grandmother, and realized how good it felt, although it felt a little foreign after weeks of not smiling.

Grace went back to cooking, taking the ingredients out. Peyton waited for a moment before dropping her bomb. "I'm going to go see Ian at the prison tomorrow," she said. Before Grace could say anything, she continued. "I really need to do this. I need to take my life back, and to do that, I need to know his reasons. I need to know why he picked me. I need to know so many things," she paused. "First, though, I need to get Lucas back. I can't lose him. I need him," her resolve firmed and she hopped off the counter, practically running out of the house.

She had been comtemplating her feelings for Lucas, trying to decide what she felt, and she finally realized. She just hoped it wasn't too late. She grabbed her keys from the key bowl, where they hadn't been touched for weeks, and then closed the front door behind herself as she left. Grace stared off in the direction her granddaughter had taken off. "Thank God for Lucas. He brought my baby back," she mumbled before turning back to the food she was cooking.

Peyton jumped into her Comet, enjoying the feel as she started the car before pulling out of the driveway. She paused, realizing she wasn't sure where he was, but then went the first place she could thinking of, hoping she was right. Peyton guessed right on the first try, and when she parked the car she shut it off before getting out, and running towards him.

Lucas heard the car pull up, but didn't expect it to be her. She let out his name in a strangled cry as she ran, though, and he turned, dropping the ball in surprise before she jumped into his arms. Lucas was in shock. He hadn't expected her to change so soon, but looking into her green eyes, he saw her spark of life in there again. Those green eyes were no longer desolate and empty. He had barely wrapped his arms around her before she crashed her lips into his. Lucas immediately responded to the kiss, wrapping his arms tighter around her, pulling her closer.

When they broke apart, both breathing heavily, Peyton rested her forehead against his, her fingers tangled in his hair. "I love you, Lucas Scott. I'm in love with you and I want to be with you. I've been living in fear so long, I just can't do it anymore. You make me feel whole again, and I need you in my life. I know it'll be hard, with us at different schools, in different towns for the next year, but I'll face anything with you. You're it for me," she said.

Lucas grinned. He had been waiting so long for her to say those words. He had often told her that he loved her over the three weeks, but it was often whispered while they were just laying on her bed, and she never responded. "I love you too, Peyton Sawyer. I'll love you forever. We'll make it through anything. We'll be together again in college, and you'll come visit me during the school year, and I'll visit you. We'll make it. We can make it," he said, reassuredly.

Peyton nodded, and, tired of the talking already, pulled his lips to hers once more. They kissed for a little while longer, before Peyton pulled away from him, picking up the basketball he had dropped. "I say we play a little one on one," she said, looking at him playfully. Then, without any other warning, she headed for the hoop, dribbling as she went. She had just been about to throw the ball when Lucas stole it from her, making a shot.

Lucas made three more shots without Peyton making a basket. The next time he got control of the ball, she jumped on his back, blowing in his ear, just trying to distract him. Lucas groaned, not because of her weight, but because of her hot breath in his ear. He tried to make the shot, but missed horribly, the ball ending up in the river. Peyton jumped off of his back and he turned to face her noticing her triumphant smile. "You lost the ball. You forfeit. I win," she said simply, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

Lucas didn't try to deny it. He just watched her. It was great seeing the real Peyton back. He noticed she was staring at him, waiting for his next move. He smirked at her for a minute before jumping at her, his fingers immediately finding her stomach. Peyton collapsed in laughter as his fingers danced over her stomach. She tried to push his hands away, but failed miserably. "I give, I give," she managed to scream out between peals of laughter.

When the movement of Lucas's fingers stopped, Peyton was lying on the hard concrete, Lucas almost on top of her, their faces inches from each others. Peyton wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips to his in a searing kiss. She flipped so she was on top of him, straddling his hips, still kissing him passionately. She broke the kiss, trying to catch her breath, and reached for the buckle of his jeans.

Lucas's eyes widened and he reached for her hands, stilling them. She glanced up into his eyes, the lust evident in her green eyes. "Peyton are you absolutely sure about this?" he asked. As much as he wanted to be with her, he didn't want to force her into anything. He knew she was just beginning to heal, and didn't want to do anything that would cause a setback.

Peyton's eyes softened and she knew he was only worried for her. She nodded adamantly, though. She needed to do this. "I have never been more sure of anything in my life. I realize this isn't the best place, but I want this. I want you, Lucas, now," she said firmly, before continuing to un button his pants. She leaned down to kiss him once more, and despite the fact that they were lying in the middle of a basketball court, where anyone could see them, their two bodies became one.

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Peyton entered her grandmother's house, pulling Lucas along behind her, their hands connected. They had been lying on the ground after doing the deed when Peyton realized she was going to be late for dinner. She invited him to go with her, and he had accepted. Now they were rushing into the house, hoping they weren't late, neither of them wanting to face Grace's wrath.

Grace was just sitting down to eat when Peyton and Lucas entered the kitchen. She raised her eyebrow at the couple, but decided not to say anything. "Oh, Lucas, you're here. Nice of you to join us. Peyton, will you set another place at the table, and then kindly sit down for dinner," she spoke calmly and both Peyton and Lucas were relieved that she wasn't mad.

Peyton went into the kitchen, grabbing the place settings before returning to the dining room. She set them down on the table, next to her place, and then sat down, Lucas taking the seat next to her. After they prayed over their food, Peyton took Lucas's hand, looking over at Grace. She cleared her throat. "Grandma, I-we kind of have some news," Grace looked up at Peyton, waiting for her to continue. "Lucas and I are a couple," she said, tossing a glance and a smile at Lucas, who returned the smile, giving her hand a squeeze.

Grace smiled. She had definately been pulling for the couple. There had been a time after Peyton's attack when she hadn't been sure that the two would make it, but she was glad that they had. "That's good dear," she said, really meaning it. She knew the year apart would be hard for them, and she was glad that they were willing to try. Peyton nodded and the three of them started eating, continuing with the light conversation.

A/N: I skipped most of her recovery because I really didn't want t waste that much time on a mopey Peyton. We really do see that too much. I won't write about her visit to Ian either, because I don't feel that it's going to be that important. So I'm basically going to skip to the first day of school and go from there. I know I've been focusing on Leyton and not a lot of Naley, but the Naley wedding will be sometime during the school year. Naley will mainly be a sid part in this fic, though, just added in for a bit of fluffiness. I personally love Naley fluff. Anyway, I would love to hear what you all think, whether it's good or bad.

Disclaimer: I don't own it, but I want to. 


	15. Chapter 15

Peyton was in her car, parked in the senior parking lot in front of her high school. She had been confident that she could do this just a two days ago, before she and Rachel had left in her Comet, on the way back home. Of course, she had been with Lucas then, too. Lucas. Just the thought of his name made her smile. She hadn't talked to him since she had called him before going to bed last night. She pulled out her phone and typed out a text message before leaning her head against the steering wheel.

Peyton smiled when, a few moments later, her phone started ringing. As she saw his name on the display her smile got even wider. She quickly flipped the phone open. "You didn't have to call," she said. "I'm glad you did, though," she admitted, almots sheepishly before he could respond. She just wanted to hear his voice before she faced school.

Lucas smiled when he heard her voice. He opened his mouth to speak, but ended up fighting off a yawn instead. "Anything for you Blondie," he said, his voice still husky from sleep. He had been sleeping when she texted, but his phone had woken him up, and he hadn't hesitated to call her. "So, what do you mean, you don't think you can do this?" he added, referring to her text.

Peyton felt slightly bad for waking him up. She knew there was an hour difference, so he didn't have to be up until later. "I'm sorry for waking you," she apologized quickly before answering his question. "I just don't know if I can go in there today and pretend nothing has changed," she answered. She wanted to hear what he had to say, because she knew he would give her the courage she needed.

Lucas sat up a little straighter in bed. He knew she was worried, and needed some confidence. He looked over that was on his nightstand. The picture was the two of them together. They had been at the Rivercourt and Haley was with them, but she had been on the phone with Nathan, so they were sitting on the grass by themselves. Lucas had his arms wrapped around Peyton and she was sitting with her back to his chest. Haley had come up and snapped the picture before either of them could realize she was there.

He wished he could be with her to comfort her. "You don't have to, Peyton. Things have happened. Just be yourself. You're a great person, Peyton Sawyer," he said. He knew he needed to take his own advice. Truth be told, he didn't want to face school, and Lindsey, either. He wondered how they would act around each other. He hadn't seen her since she had broken up with him.

Peyton smiled at his words and the flutter that his voice brought to her heart. She wished she could sit in her car all day, talking to him on the phone. She knew she needed to face the world some time though, and since she spotted Rachel she decided maybe the time was now. "Thank you, Lucas," she said sincerely as she got out of her car. "Now, you get ready for school. Have a good day, and call me as soon as you get out. I love you," she waited for him to say the words back before hanging up the phone. "Rachel," she yelled, hurrying to catch up with her best friend.

Rachel turned when she heard her name being called, and smiled when she saw Peyton. She waited for Peyton to reach her before linking her arm through Peyton's. "How you doing, Peyt?" she asked as they started walking toward the school together. She knew the first day would be the hardest for Peyton, especially without Lucas there to comfort her. She only wished that they wouldn't bump into Jake or Brooke today.

It was as if Rachel's thoughts jinxed it. Right outside the entrance to the school stood Jake and Brooke. Their hands were linked and they were leaning against the wall, talking. Peyton wished she could turn around and run away and Rachel, as if sensing that, gripped Peyton's arm tighter, forcing her onward. Jake looked up and his eyes immediately found Peyton's as they approached.

Brooke followed his gaze when he pushed off of the wall, dropping her hand. When Brooke saw Peyton, her eyes softened, but when she saw Rachel next to Peyton, her gaze hardened. She took a step closer, looking back at Peyton. "What are you doing with her, P. Sawyer?" she asked, her gaze inquisitive. Jake hadn't taken his gaze off of Peyton, and Rachel noticed that.

Peyton took a deep breath and looked over at Rachel before looking at Brooke, avoiding Jake completely. "She's my best friend, now Brooke. Why shouldn't I be with her?" she asked, her voice calm. She kept her head held high as she kept right on going, past Brooke and Jake, and into the school. She had to keep herself from looking back. It wasn't that she hated either of them. She just wasn't ready to try to be friendly yet.

Rachel looked over at Peyton and grinned once they had made it down the hallway and around the corner. Peyton had dropped her arm. "Way to go, Peyton!" she said triumphantly, before taking a closer look at Peyton. She bumped her shoulder into Peytons. "Hey, what's the matter? You did great. What's the problem?" she asked, knowing that Peyton was going into broody mood.

Peyton shrugged, trying to snap out of her thoughts. She hated the look she had seen on Brooke's face as she walked by. She knew Rachel didn't care if Brooke was hurting and she was pretty sure that Brooke wouldn't have cared, if the situation was reversed, but she did care. She didn't like the hurt the person who had been with her throughout so much. Instead of saying any of this, though, she turned to Rachel, forcing a smile. "I'm just missing Lucas," she said, not exactly lying. She was missing him, but that wasn't what she had been thinking about. "Let's go to homeroom," she said.

Rachel and Peyton had gotten put into the same homeroom, and they would get their schedules there. Rachel studied Peyton for a moment before nodding, once again looping her arm through Peyton's. "Let's stop by our lockers first," she said, before leading Peyton down the hallway. Originally Peyton and Rachel had gotten lockers across campus from each other, but Rachel had made some calls to figure out who had the locker next to Peyton's and then traded with the guy.

Peyton twisted her lock when they reached their lockers, fumbling for a minute before she was able to open the locker. She put the stuff she didn't need into it, as Rachel got her own locker open. She taped a picture of Lucas on the inside of her locker door, caressing it lightly. She wanted nothing more to be back in Tree Hill, but she couldn't. She sincerely hoped that things there were going better than things here.

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After Peyton had hung up Lucas had gotten out of bed, because he had to use the bathroom. Once he had woken himself up a bit more by splashing some water on his face, he made his way into the kitchen, following his nose. He found his mom at the stove, making pancakes. "You're up early. I didn't expect you up for at least another fifteen minutes," she said, swatting at his hand when he reached for a pancake without getting a plate first. "Didn't I teach you any manners? Get a plate and take a seat at the table," she said.

Lucas grabbed a plate and took a few pancakes, grabbing the syrup out of the cupboard before taking a seat at the kitchen table. He covered his pancakes in syrup and used his knife to cut a big bite before picking it up with his fork and shoving it in his mouth. He loved his mother's pancakes, and she always made them for him on the first day of school, without fail. He looked over at her and gave her a thumbs-up, smiling at her after he had chewed and swallowed.

Karen smiled. "I'm glad they have your seal of approval," she chuckled, flipping another pancake before declaring it done and putting it on the plate next to her. She poured enough batter for another pancake onto the pan before looking at her son once more. "Should we be expecting Haley? She's been coming over so you could walk to school together for years."

Lucas shrugged. He really didn't know. At the end of the year, when she and Nathan had been together for a while and were starting to get serious, she had occassionally opted to walk with Nathan as opposed to Lucas. This day was different, though. They had always walked to school together on the first day, for as long as they had been friends. Right on cue, however, there was a knock on the door, before Haley let herself in. "How's my second family doing?" she asked as she entered the kitchen.

Lucas looked over at her, surprised. "Nice to see you. Wasn't sure you would make it," he managed to say before eating some more pancake. Karen offered Haley some pancakes, but Haley politely declined before sticking her tongue out at Lucas for his comment. He finished chewing and continued before she could yell at him. "I guess that's mainly my fault, though. I just, wanted to spend as much time with Peyton as I could, you know, before she went back to school," he said.

Haley, who had opened her mouth to speak, closed it again before nodding understandingly. "I guess I can understand that. The good news, though, I've set a wedding date. Nathan and I are thinking the Saturday after Thanksgiving this year. I've always thought it would be nice to have a wedding in the fall," she said, changing the subject to wedding plans, which Karen wanted to hear about.

Lucas finished his breakfast and left the kitchen so he could get ready for school as the wedding conversation got more intricate between the two women. He knew his mom was bound to start thinking about the wedding she was supposed to have with Keith soon, and he didn't want to have to see the look on her face when that happened. He only hoped that once the baby came along she would be able to remember the good about Keith, as opposed to only thinking about the fact that he had been taken from her.

When he re-entered the kitchen, dressed, with his bag slung over his shoulder, he looked over at Haley. "Let's get going. We don't want to be late for the first day of school," he said. He was about to follow Haley out the door, when his mother cleared her throat. Lucas walked back over, giving her a kiss on the cheek before heading for the door. "See you later, Mom," he called over his shoulder before shutting the door behind himself.

When they got outside Haley looped her arm through Lucas's. "So, my soon-to-be BIL, what exactly is on your mind?" she asked, not buying for a second that the only thing he was thinking about was Peyton. She sent him a look to show him that she wanted the truth. She had a hunch that he was worried about seeing Lindsey, but wanting to hear him say it.

Lucas saw her look, but completely ignored it, pulling away from her as he looked at her curiously. "Okay, Hales, I know it's been a long time, but my name is not Bill, remember?" he asked, confused. "I'm Lucas," he added for clarification. He didn't want to talk about Lindsey, and he sent Haley a look that told her that.

Haley sighed, rolling her eyes, but decided to honor her best friend's wishes. She wouldn't bring up Lindsey. "Not Bill, BIL," she explained. He sent her a look telling her that he didn't understand the difference. "Brother-in-law. I decided that was too much to say, therefore, I shortened it to BIL," she said, rolling her eyes again. "So," she decided to change the subject, "have you talked to Peyton since she left?" she asked.

Lucas smiled at the thought of Peyton and nodded. "Every day since she's been gone we've talked. We usually talk before we go to sleep, or at other odd times during the day. I called her this morning before she went to school because she texted me," he answered. They talked throughout the whole walk to school and both of them were glad to get some one-on-one best friend time.

When they made it to school Haley started walking Lucas to his locker, because they were somewhat early. As they turned the corner to the hallway where his locker was, Lucas stopped suddenly, causing Haley, who had been talking at the time, to run into him. She followed his gaze, and saw Lindsey standing halfway down the hall, talking to a few of her friends. Lucas sent Haley a glance, and she nodded, mumbling that she was going to find Nathan before turning and heading in the other direction.

After Haley was gone, Lucas continued down the hallway. He walked straight past Lindsey without looking at her, and stopped at his locker, about ten feet away from her. Lindsey had been watching him as he walked by, but she had been in the middle of a conversation, so she let him walk by. Lucas almost sighed in relief when she didn't start a scene. Not that she would, he just wasn't really up to talking to her this morning. He opened his locker, then took the books he didn't need out of his backpack and put them in the locker.

Lucas was taping a picture of Peyton to the inside of his locker door when Lindsey strolled up, alone. She looked at what he was doing and saw the picture of Peyton, and the way he handled it so tenderly. "So, you got together with her, huh?" she asked. Lucas nodded, uncomfortably, but before he could say anything, she continued, her voice softened. "Listen, Luke, I meant it when I said I don't want things to be awkward between us. We used to be friends, and I want us to be friends again," she said.

Before Lucas could think of something to say, the bell rang and Lindsey disappeared, leaving him to think about her words. Lucas sighed and looked at his picture of Peyton before closing the locker and heading to homeroom. He knew this was shaping up to be a long year, and he hadn't even started classes yet. He only hoped that Peyton's day was going better than his.

A/N: This chapter seems kind of short, but I figured this was a good place to cut it off. It's mainly just filler, I guess. Things will get a bit more drama-filled, I just wanted to give Peyton a little bit of time where there was no drama. So, I'd love to hear what you think about the fic, and if you have any ideas you want to share with me, I'd welcome that too.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, any of the characters, or the CW. I'm not that important. 


	16. Chapter 16

Peyton was lounged on her bed, listening to music and drawing when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Rachel wasn't supposed to be at her house for another hour, but Rachel had come early before. She liked to come on her own timing. "Come in," she called out, not even looking up from her sketchpad. She knew that Rachel would speak up if she wanted Peyton's attention, and for the moment Peyton was focused on the drawing as she tried to make it perfect.

Peyton bit down lightly on her tongue as she concentrated on making the shading in Lucas's hair just right. She wanted the drawing to be perfect because she planned on sending it to him in the mail. After a few moments, when the door had opened and then closed, yet she heard nothing, she glanced up from the drawing. At the sight of Jake instead of Rachel, she set the drawing down, swinging her legs down so that her feet touched the ground as she reached over to turn the music down.

Peyton didn't look at Jake, but she heard him step closer. "What are you doing here?" she asked. When he reached out, caressing her cheek, she instantly pulled back, jumping to her feet and taking a step away from him. "Why are you here?" she repeated firmly, finally bringing her gaze up to meet his. "Does Brooke know you're here?" she added, crossing her arms in front of herself, taking on a defensive stance.

Jake didn't respond. He looked down at his feet, somewhat ashamed. He didn't know what he was feeling, so he had gone to Peyton to see if she could help him figure it out. It always seemed to go back to Peyton. Peyton shook her head slightly and sighed. "Maybe you should leave," she suggested firmly. Something about him being in her room, while neither his girlfriend, nor her boyfriend were aware of it. She didn't like that.

Every single time he had previously been in her room they had been dating. Peyton closed her eyes, letting her sheilds down for a moment, and didn't hear him approach. A few seconds later she opened her eyes and saw Jake's face, inches from hers, before he crashed his lips onto hers. Peyton froze for a couple of seconds before she brought her hands up to his chest, pushing him off of her.

Peyton took another step back, running into her wall. "What the hell, Jake?" she shouted, trying to wipe the taste of him off of her mouth. She didn't know what he was thinking, but she took a couple steps to the side, her back at the wall, trying to put some distance between them. "You can't just come into my room and kiss me, not while we're both in relationships. What was that?" she tried to keep her voice at a lower volume. All that kiss had done was reinforce her confidence that Lucas was the one for her. She wanted to have some idea of what was going through his mind, though.

Jake ran a hand through his hair. She hadn't even kissed back, but he found that he didn't need her to. He sighed, closing his eyes briefly and slamming the heel of his hand into his forehead. After a moment he opened his eyes and looked at her. Peyton was backed almost into the corner, hugging her arms around herself protectively and eying him wearily. He knew now what he needed to know.

Peyton didn't know what was going through his mind, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. All that was on her mind right now was Lucas. She wanted to see him, to kiss him, to feel his arms wrapped around her, and the fact that she had to wait another 5 weeks was haunting her. She did have Monday off, but she still had school tomorrow, which was Friday.

Jake finally spoke up, bringing Peyton's attention to him and her thoughts off of Lucas. "Can we, um, not tell Brooke about this?" he asked. Peyton raised her eyebrow in question. He sighed and his shoulders slumped as he took a seat on her bed. "I've been thinking about us alot lately, and I didn't know if I actually missed you, or if I was just scared of committing to Brooke," he explained. Peyton remained silent, waiting to see what answer he had come up with. "I love Brooke, I just don't know if she really loves me back, or if this is all going to be a waste of time," he sighed, leaving the 'like we were,' unsaid.

Peyton sighed. Jake had never exactly been just her friend. They hadn't really talked before they started dating, but when they did start talking they skipped the 'friends' stage. Then after the break-up she had left, and since school had started she had taken to avoinding him and Brooke, mostly, although she was still feeling kind of bad for leaving Brooke on her own. She knew that right now Jake needed a friend though, and if she had to be that friend, then so be it. She knew that even though he had been the one to cheat on her, he had been hurt by their relationship, too.

She didn't reach out and make contact with him, that would have been awkward, especially after that kiss, if you could really call it a kiss. Instead she sat on the bed next to him, keeping a few inches distance between them. "Listen, Jake, even with the way we ended, I wouldn't call us a waste of time. We just weren't meant to be. Now, about Brooke loving you, she confessed to me that she was in love with you the day after-" she cut off her statement and decided to phrase it differently. "The day before I left for Tree Hill. So, don't be scared of what could happen, because you'll never get that happy ending if you spend your life being afraid of taking chances," she finished.

Jake nodded and looked up, his eyes meeting hers. He smiled at her and Peyton smiled back and Peyton, for the first time, was pretty sure that this school year could actually end up being okay. "You know, Peyt, I think we might actually make it as friends," he said. Peyton chuckled and nodded, surprised that she actually agreed with him. He stood up and waved before leaving her room.

Peyton turned the music back up as he left her house and laid back on the bed. Peyton finished the drawing, but she couldn't get her thoughts off Lucas, and how much she wanted to see him. Finally, she just decided, why not? Her dad wasn't home, and she was a senior, entitled to take a day off every once in a while. She grabbed her old cheerleading duffel bag and threw a couple days worth of clothes in it. She figured if she just got in the car and kept driving she would make it before evening tomorrow.

She knew Rachel was still supposed to be coming over, but she didn't even think about waiting to tell Rachel what was going on. She figured she'd call Rachel when she got there, or something. She quickly finished her drawing then grabbed her duffel bag and her keys and left the house, locking the doors behind herself. As she drove Peyton felt excitement growing in the pit of her stomach at the thought of seeing Lucas again.

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Lucas headed to the Rivercourt after school, with Nathan so they could practice. Haley tagged along to watch them and cheer them on. Currently, though, he was closing his phone in frustration. "How many times is that now, that you've called her? Lucas, calm down, maybe her phone is dead, or something," Haley said, the teasing quality leaving her voice as she realized how worried her best friend was.

Lucas shoved his phone into his pocket and grabbed the ball, tossing it at the hoop in a perfect three-point shot. He turned and looked at his best friend with a sigh. "It's just, so much has happened, she never leaves her phone off, and she always keeps it charged. It's not just today that I haven't talked to her, either. I called her all afternoon yesterday and last night, and I've been calling her all day. I'm just worried something's happened to her," he said.

Nathan picked up the ball from where it had landed and walked over to his brother. "Don't worry so much, I'm sure she'll call you soon, with some good reason why she hasn't answered your calls. I can't believe you've talked to her every single day for the past six weeks," he took a seat next to his soon-to-be-wife on the bleachers. "Change of subject, hasn't Lindsey been hanging all over you lately?" he asked as he sat the ball onto the bleachers next to his feet and wrapped an arm around Haley's shoulders.

Lucas nodded. Nathan had successfully brought his thoughts away from Peyton, although she was always in the back of his thoughts at least. His mind snapped to the night before, when Lindsey had kissed him. That was why he needed to speak to Peyton so badly. He had instantly pushed Lindsey away, and he had avoided her since, but he needed to tell Peyton that she had kissed him. He couldn't keep secrets from Peyton. Actually, he just needed to tell someone, anyone, right now, so he did.

Lucas sunk down onto the bleachers with a sigh, putting his head in his hands as his elbows rested on his knees. "Lindsey kissed me last night," he mumbled, almost hoping they wouldn't hear him correctly, although he didn't want to repeat those words. He knew they had heard when he heard Haley gasp. "She cornered me here and kissed me before I had a chance to react. I pushed her away, telling her that I love Peyton, and then I ran. I haven't given her a chance to talk to me since," he explained.

Haley's sharp intake of breath was all he heard for a few minutes. When he finally looked up at her, he saw the angry look on her face, but he couldn't tell if it was anger at him or at Lindsey. "She better not screw up what's going on between you and Peyton. I've never seen you happier, and I've known you guys were meant to be since she came back. I swear to God, if Lindsey messes things up for you and Peyton," she paused, trying to think of what she'd do. "She'll regret it," she finished assuredly.

Lucas chuckled. "Calm down, Rambo. She hasn't screwed anything up. I love Peyton, and Peyton knows that. It's about time Lindsey figured it out. Don't do anything drastic, alright?" he said, laughter in his voice as he realized that his best friend's anger was not at him. He knew that an angry Haley was not someone whose path you wanted to cross.

Nathan tightened his grip on Haley and placed a kiss on her cheek. She opened her mouth to say something, but they were all distracted by a car pulling to a stop. They all looked over to see Lindsey getting out of the car. Lucas immediately threw Haley a look. "Don't do anything. Just get out of here, I'll handle it," he said, sending a look towards his brother, to make sure he got Haley out of there before he stood, heading over to Lindsey's car.

They both waited until Nathan's car was gone before looking at each other. Before Lucas could open his mouth, Lindsey had thrown herself on him. She wrapped her arms around her neck and buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, breathing in his scent. "Lucas, I made a mistake. I never should have let you go. Work became too important to me, and I let it get in the way of you and me because I was scared, but I love you, Luke. I'm in love you, and I can't stand seeing you everyday without being with you," she said. Neither of them noticed the car that pulled up, or the person who got out of it.

Lucas tried to push her away, but she held tight. "Come on, Lucas, you said it was you and me, forever. We were perfectly happy, and we could have that again. I promise to put you before my job, because all the success in the world doesn't matter without you by my side," she said passionately, looking up into his crystal clear blue eyes.

Lucas looked over Lindsey's shoulder, finally noticed the Comet, right before he noticed Peyton, who was walking towards Lucas and Lindsey. Lindsey let go of Lucas when she also noticed Peyton and turned towards the blonde. Before anyone could say anything, Peyton slapped Lindsey across the face, the sound echoing across the basketball court.

Lindsey's hand flew up to her cheek. As Lucas opened his mouth, Peyton glanced at him. "I'd advise you not to get into this," she said, before returning her gaze to Lindsey. She barely noticed that her hand was stinging from the first slap as she slapped Lindsey again. This time Lindsey slapped back, and Peyton felt that she had the right to punch Lindsey, which she did. As she pulled her fist back, comforting her sore knuckles, she spoke to Lindsey. "Now, I'll stop hitting you, if you stop hitting on my boyfriend. You gave him up, okay? He moved on, and you can't just come back and expect him to take you back," she spat out.

Lindsey spat out blood from the punch, massaging her jaw. "I made a mistake giving him up, okay. He was in love with me for six months before you came along, you can't just expect that to go away. I'm meant to be with him. He just feels sorry for you because of your attack. He wouldn't be with you otherwise. You were just his rebound, and he stayed with you out of pity," she snapped back.

Peyton resisted the urge to hit her again. She shook her head, almost pitying the girl in front of her. "I'm not going to stand here and define my relationship for you. You're not worth it. Just know that we're in love, and it is real, so you don't get to treat him like some toy, to be dropped when and then picked back up whenever you feel the need to play with him. Get out of here, before I do more to damage that face of yours," she said warningly. Peyton wasn't one to make threats, but when it came to Lucas she wasn't taking any chances.

Lucas was standing back, ready to jump in if he felt the need, but Peyton seemed to be handling it well. When Lindsey looked over at him, though, he took a step towards Peyton, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his side, letting Lindsey know what his choice was. Lindsey paused for a moment, but she finally nodded and walked to her car.

As Lindsey drove away, Peyton turned toward Lucas, so her front was up against his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. After she had kissed him for a good fre minutes, she pulled back, resting her forehead against his. "So, why exactly are you here? Why haven't you been answering my calls? Do you know how worried I've been about you?" Lucas asked after he had recovered from the breathless feeling that washed over him every time she kissed him.

Peyton paused, blowing a curl out of her face. "Well, I kind of kissed Jake. Actually, I never kissed back, he kind of just kissed me for a few seconds before I snapped out of my shock and pushed him away. Plus I missed you, and I didn't want to wait until Thanksgiving to see you. I kind of forgot my cell phone charger when I hopped into my car, so it died like twenty minutes into the trip. I imagine you were very worried about me," she quickly answered his questions in the order in which they were asked.

Lucas paused for a minute at the thought of Jake kissing her, but decided he couldn't be mad. She must have driven hours, just to see him. She had skipped school for him. He had to tell her about Lindsey, though, or he'd feel like a hypocrite. "Well, since you have a confession, I have one, too. Lindsey kissed me last night. I don't like her anymore, though, Peyton, I'm in love with you," he said.

Peyton took one hand from the back of his neck and brought it down to play with one of his. She looked down at her small hand in his. She knew that even though they had both been kissed by their exes, if they hoped to get through the year, they had to forgive and forget. "It's okay, it really is. Things are going to happen this year. Mistakes are going to be made. However, if we can stick it out, together, then it'll all be worth it in the end. The distance will be hard, but I think we truly can do it," she said, looking up so her green eyes met his blue eyes.

Lucas grinned down at her, and nodded, bringing his lips down to meet hers again. Peyton and Lucas stood in the Rivercourt, lost in each others embrace and kisses for what might have been minutes, or possibly even hours. Time didn't matter as they lost themselves in each other, trying to make up for lost time, and the time they knew they were going to lose in the future.

After the sun had set and the stars were starting to come out, Lucas and Peyton were lying on the grass next to the court, staring at the sky and sharing the occassional kiss. They both looked up when they heard a car pull up and Haley walked over, sitting on the grass next to them. "Karen sent me to look for you because she hasn't heard from you all day. I was worried about what might have happened with Lindsey. I never expected to see Peyton here," Haley's eyes took in Peyton's swollen knuckles and slightly puffed up cheek. "I don't need to go find Lindsey, do I?" she asked.

Peyton chuckled, looking up at Haley, her head still comfortaby positioned on Lucas's chest. "No, it's fine. Keep an eye on her, though. If she starts any trouble I give you permission to kick her ass for me because I won't be there," she said, only half-joking. Haley nodded, and Peyton knew she was completely serious. "Thanks, Hales, for supporting my relationship with Luke," she added.

Haley smiled. "Of course, you guys are my best friends. I just want you happy," she said honestly. She stood, glancing down at the couple. "Luke, you should probably head home soon, or at least call your mom. She's worried. I have to get going. I'm supposed to be watching movies with my fiance," she said as she started for her car. "Don't worry about it, though, Nathan was worried about what damage Lindsey had done too. I expect we won't be hearing from you two this weekend," she added as she walked away.

Peyton smiled and looked up at Lucas, stretching forward so she could place a kiss on his lips. Lucas kissed her back rubbing circles on her arm with his fingertips. When her head had returned to his chest he waited a few moments before speaking. "Are you going to go to your grandma's? Or do you want to come to my house. You can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch," he offered.

Peyton thought about it for a minute. She hadn't really thought about where she would be staying. She wanted to go to Grace's, but she knew Grace would tell her dad that she was here and, consequently, that she had skipped school. That was not a conversation she wanted to have with him. So she opted to go to Lucas's. "How about your place. I can take the couch, though, it really doesn't matter," she said.

Lucas kissed her forehead, reaching up and playing with her curls. "It's okay. My mom will insist I sleep on the couch anyway. You really don't have a choice," he said. Peyton didn't respond and they layed in the silence for a while longer before getting up and taking their separate cars to his house. The weekend passed too quickly and before she knew it she was heading home again, heading back so she could count the days until she got to see him again.

A/N: Okay, so, here's chapter 16. I think I am snapped out of my writer's block, although I can't be sure because I seem to be more blocked with Can't Lose Hope than with this fic. Well, anyway, there won't be anymore drama with Jake, I promise. Lindsey, I'm not so sure what I'm going to do with her, but I don't think she'll cause anymore problems. I have enough drama laying in Leyton's path, I don't think I need Lindsey to cause anymore. Leave lots of reviews, they really do help, and thanks to everyone who's posted a review already. I'll try to be more quicker with my updates, but I can't really make any promises.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show, or the characters. If I did, Lucas would never have almost married Lindsey, and a lot of season five wouldn't have happened. Oh well, though, what can you do? 


	17. Chapter 17

Peyton was walking through campus when Rachel caught up with her, looping her arms through hers. "What do you want to do for lunch?" she asked as they made their way to their lockers. They reached their lockers before Peyton could respond and they each set to twirling their own lock. When Peyton got her locker open she looked at the many pictures of Lucas that he had sent her and she had taped in her locker. There were also some drawings that she had done involving him.

Peyton shoved her bag into her locker and made sure she had her lunch before closing the locker, putting the lock back on and snapping it shut. She looked over at Rachel just as Rachel closed her own locker. "I brought food. If you wanna go somewhere we can, or we can stay here. It doesn't matter to me," she answered, somewhat distractedly. It was the Friday, and not only was there a whole weekend ahead of her, but they got all of next week off for Thanksgiving. She was heading for the with Rachel after school, and they were spending the whole week in Tree Hill. Haley and Nathan had invited Rachel to the wedding also.

Rachel agreed to the second and they walked to lunch room, so they could find somewhere to sit. Rachel rarely ate lunch at school. Sometimes she mooched off of Peyton, but usually she only ate when they went off campus. Once they found a table, Peyton pulled out her sandwich, peanut butter and strawberry jam, secretly Rachel's favorite, so she slid half of her sandwich to Rachel. "You really don't have to come early with me, you know. I mean, the weddings not until Friday. You could always come Friday morning, or something," Peyton informed Rachel yet again.

Rachel shrugged, chewing the bite of sandwich that she had put in her mouth. "Yeah, but better to be there than here. My parents won't come home, I have no other family here. You're my only real friend here. Thanksgiving is supposed to be about family and friends. I'd rather be there, where I have you, my family and friend, than here, with no one," she said, trying her best to sound apathetic, even though they both knew she was anything but.

Peyton smiled over at Rachel, setting her half of the snadwich down. She pulled her chips out, offering some to Rachel before pulling out two bottles of water, setting on in front of her best friend before twisting the cap off the other and taking a sip. "I'll always be here for you. I promise," she said softly. Rachel smiled back with a nod, wanting to change the subject.

Spotting Brooke and Jake walking around, looking for a table, Peyton waved them over, looking to Rachel for approval. Rachel didn't understand why Peyton was waving them over, but she didn't have any objections, really. She hadn't quite forgiven them for the way they had hurt Peyton, but Peyton had seemed to forgiven them, so Rachel chose to accept it.

A few seconds later Brooke and Jake were standing next to the table, Brooke looking at Peyton, wondering why they were there. Peyton gestured to the table. "Sit down with us," she said simply. Brooke and Jake were a little baffled for a moment. Peyton had pretty much done everything she could to avoid them since school started. Brooke didn't hesitate long, though. She wanted her friendship with Peyton back, even if it would never be the same, and if Peyton was extending that olive branch, so to speak, Brooke was going to take it.

As the four of them ate, Peyton tried not to notice the secret touches and looks of the couple, but it was hard to miss. She knew Brooke was trying to tone it down, but she realized, maybe for the first time, how hard it must have been for Brooke, watching Peyton go out with Jake, kissing him and holding his and doing all those other couply things while Brooke had been in love with him. She tried to keep her mind off of things like that, though.

After about ten minutes of idle conversation, Brooke asks what Peyton was planning to do for the upcoming holiday. Peyton paused, shoving the couple chips she had just taken out of the bag into her mouth, trying to buy herself some thinking time. Brooke and Peyton had spent every major holiday together since they had become friends. Peyton knew it would feel a little off this year, a Thanksgiving without Brooke, but there wasn't much she could do.

Karen and her grandmother and Nathan's mom, Deb, and Haley's mother, Lydia, were all getting together to cook food, at Deb's house, because it was largest, and everyone was eating there. Larry was even going to be there, although, as much as he was gone, he always tried to make it home for the holidays, at least, most of them.

Peyton knew most of the people in Tree Hill were not that fond of Brooke, to put it lightly, and she also knew that Brooke would want to spend the holiday with Jake. She couldn't exactly invite them both out there. Not this soon, anyway. Maybe one day she would be able to let Brooke get to know Haley and Nathan and Lucas, but not yet. Peyton wasn't ready yet, for one. She also knew that Rachel felt somewhat uncomfortable around Brooke.

Peyton took a drink of her water as she tried to think of a way to say it without hurting Brooke's feelings. She knew Brooke would feel like she was getting replaced, especially since Rachel was invited and she wasn't. She was relatively sure that Brooke had already planned something for Thanksgiving. "Actually, Rachel and I are going to Tree Hill," she tried to say it nonchalantly.

Brooke tried and somewhat failed to hold in her shock as her gaze snapped to Peyton She took a few seconds to close her eyes briefly, as if composing herself, before looking back at her food, any traces that Peyton's previous statement had bothered her wiped off her face. "Oh, that's cool. I'm going to Jake's for Thanksgiving. I'm meeting the parents ," she said with a grimace. Her gaze snapped back to Peyton again as she realized what she had said. She almost looked like she wished she could take it back.

The comment didn't bother Peyton in the least, though. To try to let Brooke see that, she gave Brooke some pointers, just some helpful tips she wished she had known before she had met Jake's parents. She kind of wished Rachel and Jake were gone so she could talk to Brooke in private. She had something she really wanted to say, but didn't want to say it in front of them.

Rachel seemed to pick up on this, and she stood, grabbing Peyton's trash. "I have to go take care of something before next period. I'll see you in sixth, Peyton," she said before graciously making her exit. Jake was surprisingly quick, picking up on what was happening as he stood also, dropping a kiss on Brooke's cheek and muttering some kind of excuse before leaving also.

For a few seconds Peyton just looked down at her hands, uncomfortable in the sudden silence. After a moment she looked up at Brooke, who was also looking down. "Hey, this shouldn't be that awkward. We were friends for years, and one day we will get back to that. We shouldn't let one guy come between us," she said, leaning over and nudging Brooke's shoulder with her own. Brooke looked over, but couldn't quite manage a smile. "I'm sorry we're not going to hang out this week, and I would invite you, but I think you should start getting to know them with something a bit smaller than Thanksgiving," she was tired of all the awkwardness.

Brooke nodded, finally managing a smile. "It's okay Peyton, I get it, really. Its just, we've been best friends for as long as I've lived here, and I just kind of miss it, you know. I mean, Bevin and Theresa are cool and everything, but they aren't you," she said, referring to her friends from the cheerleading squad. Taking a deep breath she bit her lip, a habit she had gotten from Peyton. "I guess I'm just wondering if we can ever get back to being friends again. It's been months," she said.

Peyton sighed, looking up, trying to find an answer. She did feel really bad for brushing Brooke off the way she had been doing lately. "Listen, Rachel and I are getting on a plane this evening heading for Tree Hill, and we won't be back until next Sunday, but maybe the week school starts back up after Thanksgiving we can hang out, just you and me. We can go out to lunch together and stuff and I'll try to talk Rachel into at least getting along with you," she was going to go on, but the bell rang, and Peyton still had to go to her locker before going to class. "I've got to go, but we'll talk, I promise, when I get back from Tree Hill," she said as she stood.

Brooke stood as well, and the two girls hugged before parting ways, both feeling just a bit better. Peyton made her way to her locker so she could get her bag, and saw Rachel causually leaning against her own locker, waiting for Peyton. Peyton twisted her lock, knowing exactly what Rachel was looking for. "Okay, if Brooke and I do become friends again, you have to promise not to kill her. Right now, though, let's just go to class, so I can day dream about Lucas," she said after she had grabbed her bag and she was closing her locker, looking at Rachel.

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As they got off the plane, Peyton's eyes scanned the airport for Lucas. "Make it obvious, why don't you," Rachel scoffed, but she might as well have been talking to air, because Peyton had already spotted Lucas and had taken off at a run to meet him. Lucas lifted Peyton into the air in the middle of the crowded airport, twirling her and then bringing her down so she could meet his lips. Rachel approached slowly, trying to keep her eyes off the happy couple. She was pleased when she spotted Haley. "Thank God you're here," she said, hugging her friend. Rachel and Haley had developed something of a bond over the summer. Both girls were closer with Peyton than each other, but they were surprisingly good friends.

Haley grinned as she pulled away from Rachel. "Yeah, I'm giving you a ride to your cabin. Lucas wants to spend time with Peyton. So I've been instructed to keep you busy," she said. Before Haley could continue, Peyton had broken away from Lucas and had come over to give Haley a hug. Haley hugged her friend back. Lucas came over too and gave Rachel a hug. "Since you're taking my maid of honor away, I'll have to settle with my bridesmaid here helping me with some last minute wedding plans," she said, feigning annoyance.

Peyton laughed, walking back over to Lucas and linking her arm through his. She looked over at Rachel, sending an apologetic look over at her best friend, not really hearing what Haley had said. "Are you sure you're okay with-" she cut herself off, suddenly realizing what Haley's words meant. "Wait, maid of honor? I thought Taylor was going to be your maid of honor?" she shrieked, rushing forward to hug Haley again.

Haley laughed as she was practically mauled by Peyton. "Well, Tay is officially MIA, so you have been promoted to maid of honor, and Rachel has been promoted to bridesmaid in your place. Y'all okay with that?" she laughed again as she saw nods all around. "Besides," she couldn't help but add, playfully bumping her hip into Peyton's, "if you're my maid of honor, and Lucas is Nate's best man, then you guys get to walk together," she said.

Lucas tried to ignore the three squealing girls with him, and the looked they attracted in the crowded airport. After a few moments he grabbed Peyton around the waist, tossing her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing as he began to walk away. "You can talk to her later. I'm taking her now," he said, leaving no room for debate from any of them.

Rolling her eyes, Peyton could do nothing but wave at them, mouthing for them to call her from her place on Lucas's shoudler. "Okay, okay, we're away from them now, you can put me down, Luke," she said when they had almost reached the baggage claim. Lucas made no move to put her down. "Lucas," she said in a more firm tone of voice. She could practically see the smirk on his face as his grip on her legs tightened. As he was walking, something caught her attention and Peyton reached down, slapping his ass before pinching it. "Let me down," she demanded.

Lucas finally relented, and set her back down on the floor. Before she could yell at him for carrying her like that, Lucas caught her lips in his again, wrapping his hands around his waist and pulling her close. Peyton instantly forgot that she had been about to yell at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, also forgetting that they were in public.

As their lips finally broke apart, she leaned her forehead against his, breathing heavily, feeling his breathing completely in sinc with hers. After a few moments she moved her lips to his ear. She whispered something in his ear, bringing her tongue out to dart across it before she drew her earlobe between her teeth, biting down gently.

Lucas's eyes widened at her words and he grinned. "You promise?" he asked and she nodded seductively. Lucas gave her another kiss before grabbing her bag from baggage claim and then leading her by the hand out of the airport, practically running. Peyton giggled, but didn't even try to slow him down. She was as eagar as he was.

A/N: Okay, I think I'll do a couple more chapters of Thanksgiving break and then make another time jump. I'm sort of just going with my muse, seeing where it takes me. Right now it's a happy time, and Leyton will definately need some of these moments with what I do have planned for them. Let me know what you think of the chapter, or even just what you think. It doesn't matter what you talk about, just leave a review. I'll try to update quickly.

Disclaimer: Just don't own it. 


	18. Chapter 18

Peyton woke up with Lucas's arms wrapped around her and she realized that she felt completely content. Things were actually going right for once. She had an amazing boyfriend, fantastic friends and, best of all, today was Thanksgiving. She looked up and noticed that Lucas was still asleep. She debated about waking him up, but then decided against it. She liked watching him sleep. Also, the longer she laid in bed with him, the more time they would have before they had to get up.

She was also scared of him waking up, though. Worried that he'd want to discuss what happened last night. Discuss why he had started the night on the couch, despite the fact that he had obiously come into her room in the middle of the night. She was scared that she would have to make a decision now, instead of waiting until she was sure, until she was ready.

Her plan was interrupted ten minutes later when Lucas woke up. He blinked a few times before looking down at her. He smiled as his blue eyes met her green ones. "Hey, beautiful, how long have you been up?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Peyton tightened her grip on him and leaned up so her lips could meet his in a scorching kiss. She was glad he hadn't brought up that taboo topic. That was him telling her that, at least for today, they could avoid it.

When they broke away Peyton once again put her head on his bare chest, listening to his heartbeat. She closed her eyes for a minute, just taking in the moment before she opened her mouth to respond. "Not that long," she replied. "Now, if I remember right, when I went to sleep, you were out on the couch, and I was in here, all alone. When exactly did that change?" she asked looking up at him. "Not that I mind you being here," she quickly added.

Lucas grinned and began rubbing circles on her back. "It just killed me, knowing that I was so close, and yet so far away. You're not going to be here that much longer, you know. I thought we should make the best of the time we have," he said, leaning down to place a kiss on her temple. Peyton accepted his answer and laid her head on his chest again. They were content to just lay like that for a while.

After an hour or so they knew they had to get up and head over to the mansion. They both knew Grace had left early to start cooking, so they took their time getting ready. Peyton had taken the first shower, but while Lucas was showering she decided that it couldn't hurt to shower again. When they were finally out of the shower they both got dressed and Lucas drove them over to the Scott mansion.

Haley opened the door and ushered the two of them in. Lucas reluctantly let go of Peyton's hand, giving her a kiss before joining his brother in the living room to watch football. Haley's dad, Jim, was already in the living room also, as was Deb's boyfriend, John and Karen's new 'friend' Andy. Karen adamantly denied the fact that Any and her were anything more. She wasn't completely over Keith yet, and refused to even admit to liking someone else.

Peyton followed Haley to the kitchen and found Grace, Karen, Deb, Lydia and Rachel. Peyton hugged Rachel, Lydia, Deb and Karen and gave Grace a kiss on the cheek. Then she stood next to Haley and Rachel at the counter. "Do you need us to do anything?" she asked. The older woman shared looks and collevtively shook their heads. They didn't really want too many bodies in the kitchen. "Then we'll be out in the backyard," she took both Rachel and Haley by the wrists and led them out of the kitchen.

Haley and Rachel looked at Peyton expectantly, knowing that she had brought them out there for a reason. "Doesn't Karen look like she's about to pop at any moment? How much longer does she have until she's due?" she asked. Neither Haley nor Rachel replied, both knowing that she was skirting the topic that she really wanted to talk about. "Lucas proposed," she blurted. Then, as if that wasn't enough, she added, "And I think I'm pregnant."

Both Haley's and Rachel's eyes widened. After the first announcement they had been about to ask what she had said, and by the second, they both looked at her, a little concerned. They could tell she didn't seem that happy about it, but they couldn't understand why. They both knew that Peyton and Lucas were completely in love, and meant to be together. They knew Peyton was scared of commitment, but if she was pregnant, they knew she had to have said yes.

There was silence for a minute before Peyton suddenly burst into sobs, surprising all three of them. She buried her face in her hands and Rachel tookone side, Haley at the other and they both started rubbing her shoulders as they shook with sobs. Before either of them could ask any questions, or make any comments, Peyton started speaking. "I'm not ready to be married with children. I'm not you, Hales, no offense. I feel like I have to say yes, though, because of the baby. I wanted my kids to be close in age though, and I don't want to start having them now. I'm not even a high school graduate yet. I don't live in the same city as Lucas. I love him so much, and I'm afraid that if I don't say yes I'll lose him and I don't wanna lose him," she cried.

Haley looked across Peyton, and met Rachel's equally bewildered gaze. Neither of them were entirely sure what Peyton needed right now. Hesitantly, Rachel bent down in front of Peyton, removing Peyton's hands from her face and forcing Peyton to meet her gaze. "Are you entirely sure you're pregnant? Why do you think you are?" she asked slowly, carefully weighing each word on her tongue.

Peyton began wiping at the tears as she thought about it. She bit her lip as she thought. "Well, I'm late, for one," she paused. "I guess the real reason I'm so sure, is because things are going so great," she said, causing both Rachel's and Haley's faces to scrunch up in confusion. They shared a look and they both shrugged, so Peyton went on. "Things have been great between me and Lucas, so great that I'm beginning to wonder how long they'll stay this way. Things can't be perfect forever. The other shoe has to drop eventaully. You want to know the worst part?" she asked rhetorically. "I haven't even told him that I think I'm pregnant."

Rachel looked up to Haley, and Haley took the hint. She quietly slipped away, letting Rachel handle it. As good of a friend as Haley was to Peyton, Rachel needed to be the one to have this conversation with her. Haley could talk to her later, but right now, Peyton needed Rachel, who knew her better than anyone, except maybe Lucas.

Rachel returned her gaze to Peyton after Haley had left. For a moment they were surrounded by silence. "You want to spend the rest of your life with him, right? You can't picture the future with anyone else?" she asked. Peyton threw a look at her that said, 'duh,' as she nodded. Before Peyton could open her mouth, though, she continued. "Then why not start it right now? If the timing is right, and ultimately you have to decide if the time is right, then you should go for it. So many people waste their whole lives looking for what you already have. You have no idea what I'd give to have someone even look at me the way Lucas looks at you," she said passionately.

Peyton nodded. She knew what Rachel said was true. Even though she hadn't been with Lucas long, she knew the love they shared was strong and most people would kill for it. She just didn't know that she was ready for it now. The events of the past few months were still fresh in her mind, and she didn't want to plan the rest of her life right now. "I can't even pick a college. How can I be planning for forever if I can't plan for the next four years? What kind of baby deserves a mother who is that unsure?" she asked, throwing up her hands.

Rachel's eyes softened. She knew what Peyton was really struggling with. "You'll be a fantastic mother, Peyton. You really will, I have faith in that, and I'm sure Lucas will too, as well as anyone that knows you. If it's really about the baby, go to a clinic and get tested to be sure. Your answer to his proposal should not rely on whether you're pregnant or not, though. If you're ready for marriage or even if you're not, Lucas will be there for you either way. He'd never abandon his child. He's nothing like his father," she said.

Peyton nodded without hesitation. She knew that Lucas would never, ever abandon his child. She just wish she could put all of this on hold, though, and wait at least until the summer. She suddenly felt something and realized she had been cramping all day. She jumped up and ran back into the house, looking for a bathroom.

When she came out she was grinning. Haley and Rachel were both right outside the door. "Do either of you have a pad, or a tampon?" she asked, relief flooding over her at the fact that she wasn't pregnant. "It was a false alarm. I'm was just a little late and I am, in no way, pregnant," she said as she fell into a three way hug with her two best friends. As she pulled away, her expression was not exactly ecstatic. "I've got to go talk to Lucas," she said, dread now replacing the relief.

Once she got outside with him, they sat in silence for a moment. She didn't know how to approach the subject, and he was just waiting, knowing what they needed to talk about. "Lucas, you've got to believe me when I say I love you. I truly do, with all my heart, and soul, with everything I have. I'll love you forever. True Love Always," she spoke hesitantly, but confident in her words.

Lucas was a little puzzled, but a part of him knew where she was going. He liked the phrase she had just used, True Love Always. He didn't say anything, though, just waited for her to continue. "I know you love me, too, and I know we are meant to be together, someday. I just, right now I feel like we would just be using marriage as a safety net, to insure that we'd be together forever," she spoke honestly.

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but she held up a hand, gently silencing him. She had to say what she needed to say. "I just always wanted to get married, after college, then start having kids, the two-story house with the white picket fence, pets, the family SUV, all of it. I want all of it with you, I truly do, but right not right now. I don't want to just get married so we'll last through the distance. I want to get married after we've made it, in spite of the distance," she said, her gaze holding his.

Lucas knew she was waiting for his answer as he mulled over her words. He knew they made sense, and even though he thought they could make it if they got married now, he would respect her wishes. He didn't want to lose her. "If that's really how you feel, then I'll wait forever for you, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer. True Love Always," he said, using the phrase she had just coined. He decided that would be what defined them, because it did. It didn't matter if marriage happened now, or ten years from now. Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer and Lucas Eugene Scott would have True Love Always.

Peyton stood, and when Lucas also got to his feet, she threw her arms around his neck. She kissed him furiously and passionately. His words meant so much to her, and she was so glad that she hadn't lost him. When she broke away she rested her forehead on his. "I'm going to love you forever, Lucas Eugene Scott," she whipered fevorently, before closing the distance between their lips again.

When they finally made it back into the house and into the living room, Haley and Rachel stood from where they were sitting, at the opposite end of the room from the guys and the T.V. Peyton sent them a small smile and a look that said she'd tell them everything later. Now was not the time to go into details. It was the time to enjoy family and friends. There was one chair left to sit in. Lucas sat down and then Peyton sat on his lap, his arms wrapped around her as she leaned her head on his chest. She placed her hands over his, smiling contentedly.

Rachel and Haley both noticed the content smile. They talked to Peyton about the wedding, while Lucas stayed focused on the football game. Eventually the food was ready and they all took their places at the table. As Peyton looked around it, she realized that Tree Hill was truly her home, and this was her happiness, surrounded by her extended family, of all these people who loved and cared for each other, and her. Some part inside her, though, despite all the happiness, was still waiting for that other shoe to drop, whether it was next week, or next month, or even months from now, a part of her knew that it would be coming.

A/N: Okay, I stayed up way too late so that I could finish this. I'm going to bed, now, but I want lots of lovely reviews, pretty please.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. 


	19. AN

Authors Note: I think I'm going to have to put this on hiatus for a little while. I seem to be having writers block, with this story in particular. Actually, I might have to put the other fic I'm working on on hold also. I just seem to be having an extremely difficult time focusing. Let me explain. I just recently read the book, Twilight, and I seem to have formed a bit of an obsession about it. I can't stop thinking about it, and I'd really like to get my hands on New Moon, but I can't find anybody who can loan me a copy. Yet. I am also especially anxious for the premire of the movie, on the 21st. But, this A/N wasn't meant for me to talk about my Twilight obsession. The thing is, though, I'm thinking of starting a Twilight/One Tree Hill crossover fic, and that idea has just consumed my thoughts the past couple of days. I prefer to work on only two fics at a time, though. I could just quickly end this, but with my desire to start that new fic so bright in my mind, I'm afraid I wouldn't do this fic any justice and I would just be ending it to end it. I don't want to do that. So, what I'm going to do is this: I'll put the things I'm working on on hiatus, write a few chapters of my new fic, enough so that I can get my obsession out of my system, and then I'll start working on all three at the same time. So, sorry for those of you who are waiting for an update, I promise, I'll try to get back to this fic as soon as possible. Thanks to everyone who reads my work, and I think I'll get to working on that other fic now. 


	20. Chapter 19

Peyton sighed as she laid on her bed. She had just set down her sketchbook after finishing another drawing of Lucas. It helped the feeling of missing him when she was trying to focus on remembering his features well enough to draw him. She had a book filled with sketches, Lucas being the subject of every single one of them. Occassionally she drew from a picture, but she preferred to use her memory.

It had been two weeks since she had seen him last, and though she talked to him every day on the phone, she still missed him terribly. She almost wished that she had said yes to his proposal. That might have given her a reason to drive to Tree Hill randomly. She knew that she had been right to say not yet, though. She wasn't ready for that yet, and she really didn't want to feel like she was being rushed into it.

It was a Thursday and she knew he would still be at basketball practice, or she would be on the phone with him. She missed him more every day, and she still had another week before the semester ended and they were let out of school for Winter Break. She kept hoping that the longing ache would lessen over time, but she still desired to be in his arms just as much as she had the day after she had left Tree Hill. No, scratch that. The desire had grown even stronger. She wasn't sure she would make it another week.

She wished she could head for Tree Hill right now, but finals were next week and she had been spending too much time lately thinking about Lucas. She desperatly needed to get some studying in. Right now, though, she couldn't concentrate on studying. She sat up, flipping open her cell phone. Her fingers flew over the numbers before she had consciously decided who she was calling.

When she heard a hesitant voice on the other end she wondered if she had made a mistake. Well, she couldn't change it now. "Hey, I was just wondering if you wanted to, you know, hang out?" There was a moment of hesitation, then a response came from the other end. A grin spread across Peyton's features. "Okay, just come over to my place, then. My dad's out at sea," she said. There was a response and then Peyton closed the conversation, hanging up her phone.

Peyton leaned her back against her headboard, then pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her forehead on them as she waited. She started daydreaming about Lucas, so she didn't hear the front door. She heard a throat clearing above her and she jumped, looking up into the warm brown eyes of Brooke Davis.

She jumped up, a smile on her face, to give Brooke a hug. Since she had returned to school, Brooke and Jake had started sitting with Peyton and Rachel at lunch. They still hadn't gotten together outside of school yet, though, so Brooke had been a little surprised to get the phone call. She had been with Jake, but had taken a rain check on their evening, because it meant a chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Peyton had had no one else to call. She knew Rachel was on a date tonight, so she hadn't called her. She wasn't really close to any of the other girls at school. Haley was living with Nathan and, while Peyton knew Nathan was at practice too, so Haley could probably use someone to talk to, she wanted someone she could hang out with in person. Talking to Lucas wouldn't really make her forget how much she missed him, not for any longterm amount of time. Therefore, Brooke had been her answer. She really had been missing Brooke, too, so she had decided it was time for reconciliation.

After breaking the hug, Peyton sat on her bed again. Brooke was looking around the room, noting the differences. The red-painted walls were covered with sketches. She took a step closer, curious, and noticed that each sketch had the same subject. She realized that it was Lucas. She knew that Peyton was head-over-heels for Lucas, she couldn't have sat with her at lunch every day for two weeks and not realized that, but she didn't know that Peyton had drawn that many sketches of him.

She tried to count them all, but the numbers grew too large. She turned to meet Peyton's gaze, her eyes wide. She couldn't think of what to say for a minute. She had never seen Peyton draw so many sketches of just one person. It was like she drew nothing else anymore. "You never drew Jake this much," she finally commented.

Peyton didn't know what she had been expecting, but those words weren't it. She looked around the room, as if she was taking in for the first time how many drawings of Lucas she had on her walls. Her eyes slowly made their way back to Brookes. "I didn't feel this way about Jake," she admitted. It was the truth.

With Jake, she had contemplated marriage-in the future. She had planned everything out, her whole life, long before she had ever been with him. She saw someone there, but the face had always been fuzzy, not quite defined. While she had been with Jake, she had kind of forced his image next to her in her life plan. She had actually kind of changed the way she wanted her life to be, morphed it to fit his needs.

With Lucas, he fit perfectly into her plans. It was almost as if her original plan had been made for her and him specifically. Not only that, she wanted marriage with Luacs. Right now. She could see their whole life together, and she wanted it, with all of her heart. If she had been the kind of girl who would get married in high school, as soon as she found the one she wanted to be with forever, she would have said yes to his proposal. She wanted to wait for marriage, though. She knew it would all happen eventually, she just had to wait for the right timing.

Brooke could tell the words Peyton spoke were true. She hadn't thought much about Peyton's feelings for Lucas, because she had never actually seen them together. She thought Peyton just talked about him all the time because he wasn't around. She was beginning to see that wasn't true. Peyton really loved Lucas, a lot more than she had loved Jake. No, maybe that wasn't right. It wasn't that she loved Lucas more, just that she loved Lucas in a different way.

It was like Peyton had already given him her whole heart, and her life. She had completely committed herself to Lucas, and nothing was going to change her mind now. There was no more Peyton without Lucas. It was Peyton and Lucas now, forever. Brooke pondered this for a minute. It was nice to see her best friend so happy. She also realized that she was the same way with Jake.

She sat down on Peyton's bed, wondering if it would be wrong for her to start talking about Jake. She never got much of a chance to talk about Jake the way Peyton talked about Lucas at lunch, because Jake was always sitting right next to her. She wanted Peyton to know how much Jake meant to her though. She wanted Peyton to know that she wouldn't have risked their friendship unless she was completely sure.

She may not have been entirely sure at the time, but she was now, and she wouldn't change the way things turned out for anything. Even if Peyton had gotten hurt in the process. Well, she did wish that Peyton hadn't gotten hurt. She smiled at the blonde, who was waiting expectantly, able to tell that Brooke needed to say something. Peyton still knew her so well.

Brooke took a deep breath, before speaking. "The way you feel for Lucas, I feel for Jake. I love him, so so much. He has my heart and I couldn't get it back if I wanted to, not that I do. He makes me so happy, P. Saywer. I never imagined I could feel this way for a guy. You know I was never a person that would commit myself to someone, but with Jake, I have. I don't even see the other guys anymore. I don't notice them because they don't matter anymore. I've found my forever, and I don't even want to look at anything else," she paused, wondering if those were the right words to describe her feelings for Jake. They didn't even seem to begin to cover it, but they'd just have to do.

Peyton had a smile on her face. She was looking up, at a sketch she had taped to the ceiling, right above her bed so it would be the first thing she saw when she woke up and the last thing she saw before she went to sleep. It was a sketch of her and Lucas. They were standing as close as possible to each other. Lucas had his right hand holding her left to his heart, while her right hand was holding his left hand to her heart. Peyton was gazing up into his eyes, while he looked down into hers, and the love was evident even on the paper. The thought bubble read: 'I want everything with you.' The caption said: We can have it.

Peyton looked back down at Brooke. She knew exactly what Brooke meant. It did sort of surprise her, though. Brooke had never really wanted to be in a relationship. Her parents had kind of ruined marriage for her. She never stayed with one guy for long, and when she did it was only because she liked screwing him. Peyton could tell that Jake was different. Brooke was fully committing for the first, and perhaps only, time.

Peyton nodded slowly. "You know what? I know exactly what you mean," she said softly. Her mind was on Lucas. She knew that she was his forever, though she had never liked the idea of belonging to anyone before. Now, it seemed like that was just the way it was. She knew she didn't belong to him in a possessive way, she was just his and his alone, and she knew that was the way it would be forever. There was no doubt in her mind. It was like everything else in her life had led her to this revalation.

She realized where Brooke's thoughts had gone, and what she needed to say now. "You know, Brooke," she spoke, making sure she had Brooke's attention. Brooke focused her gaze on Peyton's. "I wouldn't change the way things happened. The pain was worth it, in the end, because we both found our own happiness. I haven't been this happy since my mom died, but, to be honest, there is one thing missing." Brooke looked curious. "I miss our friendship. I really want us to go back to the way things were, but I actually think we can do better than that. I think we can have a stronger friendship than ever before, because of the way things happened. So, because of that, I really wouldn't change anything," she said.

Brooke thought about what Peyton said. She seemed to really believe that, so Brooke surpirised Peyton with another hug. This one was the start of a new friendship. Things would be different now. They were starting over, and they both knew it. When Brooke pulled away she grinned at Peyton, her dimples flashing. "I think this is cause for a bit of a celebration," she jumped up from the bed. "We're going out, but we're both leaving our phones here. There will be no distractions. This is strictly Brooke and Peyton time," she added cheerfully, pulling her cell phone out and tossing it on Peyton's bed, waiting for Peyton to do the same.

Peyton hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. She really wanted to talk to Lucas when he got out of practice. After a moment of hesitation, she took her phone out of her pocket and dropped it on the bed too. She needed this fresh start with Brooke. Lucas would understand. She would call him the minute she got back.

Brooke led Peyton out of the house, to her car. Once they were both in and Brooke was driving, Peyton looked over at her. "Where are we going?" she asked. She was pretty sure of the answer to her question, because there was only one place in town that Brooke liked to go to that was in the direction they were headed.

Brooke didn't take her eyes off of the road. "The mall," she answered, as if it was obvious. Maybe it should have been. The first time the friends had met was at the mall. It had been right after Peyton had moved into town, before she had started school. Her father had dragged her to the mall in the efforts to make her feel better about the move. Needless to say, it didn't work.

Brooke had been at the mall to look at make-up and check out boys, even at her young age. She had been in a clothing store and went to the dressing rooms to try on a top. She heard crying and her curiousity got the better of her, so she decided to check out the situation. She found Peyton, and comforted her, but they hadn't exactly become friends then.

When they had both been in school on Monday, Peyton had already made friends with Rachel, who had lived enxt door to her at the time. Brooke and Rachel didn't really like each other much, so Brooke had stayed away. Brooke moved away at the end of the year, to come back just in time to start high school.

This time it was Peyton who found Brooke in the mall, crying. She hadn't known that Brooke had come back and Brooke looked like a different person, but it brought back such deja vu that she knew immediately who it was. Brooke's parents had divorced that summer, and Brooke's mom had moved back with her. Brooke had not wanted to move with her mom. She had desperately wanted to go with her dad.

After the second meeting in the mall, the friends became inseperable. Rachel began to drift away from Peyton because she spent so much time with Brooke. That year, Peyton met Jake, and the rest, as they say, is history. As Brooke pulled into a parking spot, she looked over at Peyton. "No crying this time, okay?" she asked, a smile on her face.

Peyton nodded. "Deal," she said before they both got out of the car, heading inside with their arms linked. They reconnected over an evening in the mall, talking about everything. As they were leaving, hours later, Peyton realized that this had been just what she needed. She knew she needed to give Rachel a call later. She wouldn't let things history repeat itself. She was determined to do things right this time.

She saw a familiar car parked outside her house, and for a second she froze in shock. She refused to let herself get her hopes up, but she'd know that truck anywhere, so she couldn't help breaking into a run as she entered her house. Brooke followed so she could get her cell phone, wondering what had made Peyton so excited. When Peyton made it to her room she paused in the doorway, her eyes taking in the familiar figure before she launched herself at him.

A/N: Okay, I know I'm a bit evil with the cliffhangers, but I always have been, so you guys should be used to it by now. You should be able to guess who's in her room, though. Hope you guys liked the chapter. Tell me what you think.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. 


	21. Chapter 20

Peyton had thrown herself at Lucas with such force that they both fell backward, onto the bed. Before he could say a word, she had covered his mouth with hers, kissing him hungrily. He didn't object. His hands her at her waist, holding her tightly against him, and she had her hands on either side of him, pushing against the bed, trying to keep her weight off of him. She had forgotten about Brooke, who had followed her up the stairs.

Brooke watched for a moment, wondering what she should do. She had seen the surprise and excitement in Peyton's face when she had realized that Lucas was there, and Brooke didn't want to take away from that. She knew she would hate to be seperated from Jake for any long period of time, and she didn't want to interrupt Peyton and Lucas's time together.

There was a bit of a problem, however. Brooke's phone was still on Peyton's bed, and Lucas had fallen on it when Peyton had attacked him. Brooke thought about leaving without it, but she wasn't sure when she would see Peyton again, if Lucas was visiting. After a moment of just standing there, she cleared her throat.

The could on the bed didn't hear anything the first time. Or the second or third times. It wasn't until Brooke cleared her throat loudly, for the fourth time, that they broke apart. Peyton put one knee on the bed on either side of him so she could push herself up, then she grabbed his hand, pulling him up in front of her. She turned to throw Brooke a sheepish smile, still holding onto Lucas's hand.

Brooke rolled her eyes, trying to feign annoyance, but it didn't last long before she burst into giggles. She shook her head slightly as her laughter died down. Neither Peyton nor Lucas had said anything yet. Lucas was eying Brooke warily. He wasn't aware that Peyton and Brooke were hanging out again. Brooke walked up to the couple, then leaned around them, picking her cell phone up off the bed. "I'm going to let you guys have some alone time. See you later, P. Sawyer," Brooke waved and winked at Peyton before leaving the room.

Peyton didn't waste any time. She wrapped her arms around Lucas's neck again, pushing him back down on the bed as she attacked his lips with hers. She had a lot of time to make up for, and they had the house completely to theirselves. A few hours later, they were lying in her bed, Peyton had her head on his chest and they were laying in silence. Lucas was playing with her hair, and Peyton was listening to the steady beating of his heart. They hadn't talked much yet.

She looked up at him. "You know, you never told me why you're here," she said, her fingers absently drawing designs on his flat abs. They were sculpted perfectly, and she loved running her fingers up and down his torso. She didn't even realize what she was doing until he grabbed her hand, stopping its motions.

She smiled up at him sheepishly, waiting for a response. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers before dropping his head against the pillow again. "Well, I have this awesome girlfriend who lives here. I never get to see her much, so I thought I'd drop by for a visit, since my finals are already over," he said, placing a kiss on her temple.

Peyton looked up at him with a sly smile. "Oh, she's not going to be here any time soon, is she? We wouldn't want to get caught," she said playfully. She rolled on top of him, trailing kisses up his chest, up his neck, and along his jaw to his ear. She purposefully breathed heavily into it as she could feel him reacting.

He pretended to check his watch. "Actually, she'll probably be here pretty soon," he teased, going along with what she started. He laughed, and she could feel the rumble in his chest beneath her. She had one hand on the bed next to his head, and the other on his chest as she tried to hold herself somewhat off of him as she straddled him, one knee on either side of his waist.

She was still trailing kisses up and down his jawline, but stopped at his words. "Well, I could always leave now," she teased right back, moving to get off of him, though she really had no intention of leaving the bed. His hands immediately moved to her waist, and he held her tightly, unwilling to let her move. Unfortunately, right at that moment, the front door opened downstairs.

Peyton immediately jumped off of the bed, looking around for something to put on. She had no idea who would be coming over at this time at night. She grabbed the closest thing to her, which happened to be Lucas's shirt, and sent him a look that told him to be quiet before she left the room.

She stopped at the top of the stairs and saw a familiar redhead at the bottom. She put her hand to her chest. "Couldn't you have knocked or something?" she asked, her shoulders sinking in relief. Her relief quickly turned to annoyance as she remembered what Rachel had just interrupted.

Rachel had completely ignored Peyton's question, as she had been talking. "Where have you been all day? I tried calling you earlier, but you didn't have your phone on, or something. Now it just goes straight to voicemail. I knocked on the door, but no one answered. I wouldn't have come over this late, but I was worried about you, and I wanted to tell you all about my date. I also know you've been missing Lucas so much, I thought I'd just stay the night here, and we could go to school together in the morning," she was rambling on and on and began climbing the stairs toward Peyton.

Just then Lucas came into Rachel's view, wearing only his boxers, and he wrapped his arms around Peyton from behind, attacking her neck with his lips. Peyton giggled, partially because he was tickling her and partially because of the shocked look on Rachel's face. "What were you saying?" she asked, managing to spit out the words in between giggles. She tried to pull away from Lucas, but he had his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Rachel froze, her eyes darting back between Lucas and Peyton. She backed up a few steps. "I guess I'll just see you later. Maybe I'll sneak back into my room just to avoid my parents," she said, sending Peyton a look that said that they were going to talk tomorrow at school. Then she turned around and disappeared.

Peyton turned around in Lucas's arms so she was facing him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, just so she could stand close to him. "So, what time did you get here?" she asked, as they stood. She was looking up into his eyes, and he was looking down at her. Then she heard her stomach growl. She hadn't eaten while with Brooke.

Lucas reached his hands up to untangle her hands from his hair, then dropped their hands, so he was only holding one of her hands. He led her downstairs and to the kitchen. She was about to start cooking, but he shook his head, easily lifting her and placing her on the counter before moving to the refrigerator. "What do you want to eat?" he asked.

Peyton had shifted so she could move the shirt underneath her butt because the countertop was cold, but otherwise made no protest. She knew she wasn't the greatest cook, and if he was offering to cook for her, she definately wasn't going to refuse. "It doesn't matter. Aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten since I got home, and if I know you, you didn't eat while you were here alone either," she pointed out.

Lucas looked through her refrigerator and her cupboards, trying to decide what to make. He decided on something simple, and got out a box of Hamburger Helper and a pound of hamburger meat. He began cooking, making conversation as he did so. "I was here for a couple hours before you got here. I left this morning and I was calling you all afternoon, but you obviously weren't here. Want to explain to me why you were with Brooke Davis?" he asked, not sounding possessive, just like he was honestly curious.

Peyton smiled. She knew he wasn't asking because he wanted to know who she hung out with, and when and why she hung out with them. He was concerned for her, because he still remembered how upset she had been at the beginning of the summer, and he knew that Brooke had played a big part in that misery. "I want to be her friend again. I miss her friendship, and this time I'm going to do things right," she said, then, at his confused look, explained her reasoning, and the fact that she was going to be friends with both Rachel and Brooke this time around.

It took her a surprisingly long time to finish the story, mainly because Lucas kept taking breaks from stirring to kiss her. Then her focus was distorted for a few moments, even after he returned to the food he was cooking. By the time she was finished, Lucas was holding the wooden spoon out to her, so she could be his taste tester. She blew on it before eating it. After she had swallowed she sent him a smile and a thumbs up.

He turned the stove off and dished a large amount of the Hamburger Helper onto a plate, grabbing a fork before moving to stand in front of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and thought about kissing him, but her stomach was really growling now that she had gotten a taste of the food, and she decided to eat first. So, standing between her legs, he fed them both, alternating between giving her a bite and giving himself a bite.

When the plate was empty, Peyton took it from him, leaning over to set it in the sink before pulling him close to her, crashing her lips to his as she ran her hands up and down his bare chest. His hands ran up and down her bare thighs as they made out. When it became more heated, he picked her up, their lips staying connected as he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom.

The next day Lucas dropped her off at school. He was going to stay with her for the next week, while she had finals, because his school was already out for Winter Break. Then, once her school was let out for break, they would go to Tree Hill. He was going to spend the day at her house, and then pick her up once school was over. She was counting the hours until she saw him, even as she got out of the car, after a long kiss.

She watched his truck drive away and then turned toward the school, immediately noticing that not only Rachel, but also Brooke and Jake were walking up to her. She knew that Brooke was dragging Jake along, but she would still prefer to not talk about her current boyfriend around her ex. She mouthed, 'later,' to Brooke before continuing past her, meeting up with Rachel. She still had to explain to Rachel that she was going to be friends with Brooke.

During their first period class, Peyton and Rachel passed notes and Peyton explained what she had been up to the previous day, and also why she expected Rachel and Brooke could be friends. They did share a lot of the same interests. They had just started off on the wrong foot. If they could each be less judgemental about the other one, then they should be great friends, or at least okay friends. Rachel had, albeit a bit grudgingly, accepted Peyton's explanation, and agreed to try to be friends with Brooke.

Peyton was standing in front of the school with Rachel after school had ended when she noticed Brooke and Jake coming up to her. She smiled and waved them over. She had had a class with Brooke during the day, too, and had passed notes with her, explaining the same thing to Brooke as she had to Rachel. Brooke had also agreed to try to be friends with Rachel.

The four of them had eaten lunch together, and things had gone quite smoothly as far as Peyton could tell. Most of her thoughts had been occupied by Lucas, though, so she couldn't be entirely sure that she hadn't missed something. Neither of them had complained to her about anything that had happened the next time they were alone with her, though, so she was fairly certain that it had gone smoothly.

As Brooke and Jake approached, Peyton forced herself into the conversation, so she could act as a buffer between Rachel and Brooke. As she spoke, though, she kept her eyes on the streets, looking for Lucas's truck. As soon as the truck was in sight, she started walking towards it, waving bye to her friends as she walked away. She was planning things to do with Lucas over the weekend. She had also drawn another sketch of him, and she knew the perfect place to put it on her wall.

She got in the truck, tossing her bag into the back, and holding her sketchbook in her lap as she gave him a quick kiss. "I could get used to this," she said with a grin as he started driving, removing one hand from the wheel so he could hold hers. She sighed contentedly and he didn't say anything as they drove to her house. "What did you do today?" she asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

Lucas brought her hand up to his lips so he could place a light kiss on each of her knuckles as he was stopped at a red light. "I read some Steinbeck and thought of you all day, of course," he said, his blue eyes finding her green eyes as they waited for the light to change.

Peyton blushed. Before Lucas, she had hated blushing, but a lot of things had changed since Lucas had come back into her life, and she found that blushing didn't annoy her as much as it once did. Still, she ducked her head, looking down at her sketchbook as she felt her cheeks heat up. Using the hand that wasn't holding his, she flipped through, looking for her most recent sketch. The light changed before she found it, and she waited until he was stopped again to show it to him.

Lucas admired her work for a moment before returning his attention to the road, complimenting her the whole time. She grinned and the blush reappeared in her cheeks as she took in his praise. "By the way, I like your room. I never really got a chance to tell you last night," he said, obviously referring to all the sketches.

Peyton smiled a little sheepishly. She wasn't ashamed about how many drawings she had of him, though. It was how she felt. If he was overwhelmed by that, it wasn't her fault. Besides, she knew how much he loved her. He had been the one to propose to her. "Well, I usually draw whatever I'm thinking about. Since you're all I think about, you've become the subject of most of my drawings," she explained.

His grin widened. "I like that. You're all I think about too, Peyton, and if I had even half the drawing ability you did, I'm sure you'd be the subect of all my drawings, too," he said, honestly, giving her hand a squeeze as he pulled to a stop in front of her house. They both got out of the car and headed to the house, the topic of conversation changing to their plans for the weekend.

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The following Friday, Peyton was walking to the front of the school, one arm linked through Rachel's, the other linked through Brooke's, after finishing her last final. She was glad that it was finally Winter Break, and in just a few hours she would be on the road with Lucas, on their way to Tree Hill. She missed Haley, though not quite as much as she had missed Lucas, of course, and she wanted to hear about the honeymoon.

Nathan and Haley had just gotten back to Tree Hill that morning, having spent the first week of their Winter Break on their honeymoon. They had only gone to Hawaii, but Peyton wanted all teh details. Brooke was babbling about the promise ring Jake had given her, and Peyton really was happy for her friend. Rachel was also going on about her new boyfriend, who she wouldn't give any details that would give his identity away.

Despite the fact that she had been in the middle of a sentence, Peyton lost her voice at the sight of the truck, because she could see her suitcases and Lucas's in the back. They weren't supposed to be leaving yet, and she wondered what had changed things. She said a distracted 'see you later' to Brooke and Rachel before pulling her arms away from them and running toward the truck. She tossed her backpack into the back of the truck before climbing into the cab. "What's going on, Babe?" she asked.

Lucas was sitting in the truck, with it on, waiting for her to get in. As soon as her door was shut he began driving, distractedly. She had to repeat the question, her voice rising in worry before he answered. "My Mom's having her baby," he turned to her, a grin on his face before he looked back to the road.

A/N: I have to admit, it'll probably be awhile before I update again. This chapter was almost finished, though, so I decided to finish it tonight before going to bed. Finals are next week, though, so I'm going to be busy studying and such, and won't have quite as much time to write. That being said, I really hope you like this chapter, and you should leave lots of reviews, telling me what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own it. 


	22. Chapter 21

Peyton woke up in the passenger seat when Lucas finally stopped the car. It was the middle of the night, and he had just arrived at the hospital in Tree Hill. She sat up in her seat and set her feet on the floor of the car as he walked around to the passenger side of the car to help her out. He opened the door for her and she leaned on him once she got out, using him for balance as her legs woke up.

Lucas's mind was racing as he wondered about his mothers condition, and he couldn't deny that he was tired, due to the fact that he had been driving most of the day and half the night, and it was the middle of the night. Still, he couldn't help but think of how adorable Peyton was when she was waking up. Her hair was mussed, and she was rubbing at her eyes, to get the sleep out of them, smearing her already smudged eyeliner. Yet, she looked as goregous as if she had just dressed up. "Hey beautiful, nice to see you awake," he said, leaning down to place a light kiss on her nose as they walked.

Peyton stuck her tongue out at him, despite the fact that she was trying, and failing miserably, to fight the urge to smile back at him. She had to cover a yawn with her hand, and it helped her regain control of her smile. "In case you've forgotton, someone kept me up late last night. Not to mention, I was the one who had to get up early to finish my finals," she teased right back, deciding to ignore the beautiful comment, not wanting to know how horrible she looked after spending hours in the car.

As they walked into the hospital, they became more serious, the smiles slipping off of both of their faces. "You know I would have stayed up with you, if you'd asked me to. I've just always had trouble staying up during long car trips, unless I'm the driver. Not to mention it was getting late," she added, checking to make sure that it was okay she had slept. She really hadn't wanted to, she had wanted to be there in case Lucas had needed to talk. The steady movement of the car, on top of her tiredness had really given her no other choice, though, and he had insisted that he would be okay if she had gone to sleep.

Lucas dropped her hand and wrapped his arm around her, placing a kiss on her forhead. "It was fine, really. I didn't fall asleep and we made it here just fine," he paused. "Besides, you're quite amusing when you talk in your sleep," he added, going back to the teasing tone as he grinned down at her.

Neither of them noticed Haley until she was right in front of them, and Peyton didn't have a chance to respond before Haley was pulling Lucas into a hug, then explaining that she didn't know anything because 'she wasn't family,' according to the nurses. "You're the only one allowed in the room, and if you go to the nurse right there," she pointed to the nurse at the nurse's station, "she'll show you where you need to go," he waas about to turn away from her, but she continued, pointing at him for emphasis. "You better let me know if anything happens," she added, trying to be manacing.

Lucas nodded absently and dropped a kiss on Peyton's forehead before reluctantly leaving her with Haley and Nathan, who had previously been dozing in a chair but was now standing next to his wife, having been awakened by the arrival of Peyton and Lucas. Peyton watched Lucas leave, wishing she could be with him for moral support, before turning to Haley and Nathan. "So, Hales, tell me all about your honeymoon," she said, after giving Haley and Nathan each a quick hug.

Haley knew that Peyton was only trying to take their minds off the fact that Karen had been in there for hours and no one had a clue about what was happening to her. Still, she jumped on the distraction, babbling on about every detail of her trip as the trio took seats in the waiting room chairs.

They spent hours talking about inconsequential subjects, with only a few awkward silences as they all wondered what was taking so long. Eventually, when they ran out of topics, Haley went back to pacing and Nathan went back to sleep, but Peyton couldn't sleep anymore, and her nerves didn't make her want to pace. She settled for running out to the truck to grab her sketch book and then she settled back into the uncomfortable waiting room chair to draw.

She had finished three random drawings before Lucas appeared in the waiting room, still wearing the scrubs. Haley was the first to get to him, but Peyton pushed right past her, launching herself into Lucas's arms. He didn't get a word out. He didn't need to. They could tell from his expression that something had gone wrong, and he couldn't quite speak the words yet.

Lucas started crying on Peyton's shoulder almost as soon as she had gotten her arms around him, and she just held him close for a few minutes, rubbing his back and whispering soothing things in his ear. After a few minutes of letting him sob, Peyton pulled back a little, so she could look at his face. "Are you okay? What happened?" she asked, concerned.

Lucas took a few deep breaths, looking into her eyes. Once he was sure that he had complete control of his voice, he spoke. "She delivered the baby just fine. I have a little sister," he said, obviously trying to give the good news first. "Then something happened. I'm not sure what. All I know is one second she was holding her daughter in her arms, and the next she was unconscious. Her heart stopped beating and they had to kick me out of the room so they could bring her back. I think they said something about maybe having to operate," he muttered, still in shock.

Peyton had to control her own tears now, and Haley brought her hand up to her mouth to cover her gasp before she turned and buried her face in Nathan's shoulder. Both couples were now holding onto each other and Haley and Peyton were crying just as hard as Lucas. Nathan even had tears in his eyes, even though he hadn't been as close to Karen as the other three.

Eventually the sobs left, leaving only silent tears in their wake, and the four teenagers took seats once again. Haley didn't have the strength to pace anymore and she leaned her head against Nathan, her arm looped through his and their fingers laced, and pulled her legs up under her. Peyton sat so close to Lucas that she was almost on top of him, but he didn't mind, because it gave him as much comfort as it gave her. Their arms were wrapped around each other, and Peyton's head was on Lucas's chest as he rested his chin on her head. Not one word was spoken between the four as they waited for news.

The sun had already risen when a doctor came into the waiting room, speaking Karen's name. Lucas jumped up, Peyton at his side and Haley hot on his heels, Nathan behind her and they crossed the waiting room to the doctor. "I'm her son," Lucas spoke up. He wrapped his arm around Peyton and Haley was clutching at his other arm as the doctor eyed the other three teens. Lucas sent him a look that said they were just as much Karen's family as he was.

The doctor understood Lucas's look and nodded. "Well, she seems to be in a coma right now, but if she lives through today, and tonight, she should wake up soon enough, and once she does she should be fine. The biggest issue will be these next twenty-four hours," he said, then went on to explain medically what happened to her, but none of the teenagers really understood the medical terms. "I urge you all to go home and sleep some, then come back. She won't be waking up any time soon, and you'd be of more use to her if you went home and slept now," he finished.

Lucas was dead on his feet, but he didn't want to leave the hospital. Haley and Peyton shared a look; they both knew they'd have to force him to go home and sleep, at least for a little while. The doctor was right when he said that Lucas'd be of no use to Karen if he didn't get some rest. They both knew it'd be a tough fight, though. Lucas spoke up before either of them could. "What about the baby?" he asked.

The doctor glanced briefly down at the chart in his hands before looking back up at Lucas, a smile plastered on his face. At least there was some good news he could give these teens. "The baby is fine. You have a perfect baby sister. You can go see her in the nursery, if you'd like," he said before he was beckoned to do something else.

Lucas eyes watched the doctor walk away, but they held no more emotion. He looked blank, and that was worse, to Peyton anyway, than the pain. The pain she knew how to deal with. If he was going to go numb and be nonresponsive she didn't know how to help him, because if he did that then she knew he wouldn't let her in.

Peyton squeezed his hand in earnest, trying to give him support and hold herself together all at once. She wouldn't allow herself to break down in front of him, though that was what she wanted to do. It was then, standing in the waiting room trying to hold herself together for Lucas, that she heard her grandmothers name being spoken by the nurses who were walking by, having a conversation.

Her gaze snapped to the pair, because she had also heard the word ambulance in that sentence. She dropped Lucas's hand and ran a few steps to catch up with them, saying something to get their attention. Lucas, Haley and Nathan hadn't heard it, but Peyton's hearing was more attuned to her grandmothers name, so, while she had picked it up, the other three had no idea what she was doing. "What did you just say about Grace?" she asked. The nurses shared a look, wondering if they should explain. "She's my grandmother. Is she alright?" Peyton added impatiently, almost pleading, hoping that she had head them wrong, and they could make the feeling of dread that was twisting her stomach go away.

The look the two nurses shared was now of sympathy. Neither of them wanted to say it, and that alone spoke measures to Peyton. Lucas had approached, now, and was standing right beside her, looking at the nurses also, waiting for the news that would undoubtedly make the day worse than it already was. "Well, I just took the call. It seems that she's had some kind of attack. She had a friend over at the time, who called the ambulance for her. The friend wasn't really an expert, but the symptoms sounded like Grace had a heart attack," one of the nurses finally spoke up, softly, as if the volume of the words could soften the blow.

It now took a lot more work for Peyton to hold herself together. She turned to Lucas, taking a step closer, so she was close enough to bury her face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. She was trying not to cry, and being in Lucas's embrace did manage to let her compose herself enough to control the tears. After a few minutes, she had enough control so she could pull back and look up at Lucas. "I'm okay, really," she had her poker face on, and her voice managed to not waver.

He didn't buy it, and neither did Haley or Nathan, but before anyone could say anything, she continued. "You should go see your sister, then go home and get some rest. I'm going to stay until I find out what happened to my grandma, then I'll meet you at your house," she said, speaking to Lucas alone. "You guys should make sure he goes home," she added to Haley and Nathan, but she didn't take her eyes off Lucas.

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but Peyton shook her head, not letting him get a word in. "No, come on, I'll go with you to see your sister," she began dragging him down the hall, in the direction of the nursery. She needed to keep her mind off of her grandmother for now. "I promise, as soon as I figure something out, I'll either call you or go to your place. You need to sleep so you can come back and be here when your mom wakes up," she said, and Haley spoke up as well, trying to convince him that he needed sleep.

Lucas stared at Peyton for a long moment. "Please, I don't want to worry about you, too. I need to be here, and you need sleep. I'll be okay, really. Just, please, go get some rest, so I don't have to worry about you," she pleaded with him. From the look in her eyes, he knew there would be no budging her in her decision. He also knew that she would need to process things in her own way.

They made it to the nursery then, and looked through the window at the babies, searching through the bassinets until they spotted Lucas's mom's name. There, wrapped in a tiny pink blanket, was Lucas's baby sister. "Look at that, she's beautiful," Haley spoke in an awed voice. Lucas was speechless, and Peyton couldn't take her eyes off the baby for the moment either.

When they were done looking at the baby, Peyton forced Lucas out of the hospital with Haley and Nathan. She then found the nurse who had told her the little information about what had happened, and asked some questions. She found out that Grace was in surgery right now and it was, in fact, a heart attack. She'd have to wait until the surgery to find anything out, but she could tell from the nurse's tone that it didn't seem good. Peyton went to the nearest bathroom and made sure it was empty before locking herself into a stall, finally allowing herself to cry.

A/N: Sorry I didn't finish this morning, but better late than never, right? I hope you like the chapter. A lot of drama going on right now. This fic is drawing to a close, though, and I'm pretty sure it won't be more than 30 chapters. I won't bet on it, but that's what I'm thinking. I already know what's going to happen to Grace, but if you guys want you can leave your suggestions. I get happy when you leave reviews and it's the holiday season, so leave a lot. Thanks to those of you who do review, by the way, they do help.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. 


	23. Chapter 22

Peyton awoke with a start, looking around as she tried to find her bearings. She couldn't remember where she was or what she was doing there. As she took in her surroundings, she realized she was in a bathroom stall, leaning against the wall, slumped on the floor. She brought her hands up to rub her face and felt the now-dry tear trails on her face. She closed her eyes and rubbed them, trying to remember the events leading up to her being in a bathroom stall.

She could remember the drive to Tree Hill, with Lucas. She remembered arriving at the hospital, meeting up with Haley and Nathan, and then Lucas going in to stand at his moms side while she had her baby. After that, she remembered Lucas came back, and they had to wait as Karen was in surgery. The baby had been born succesfully, though. She could remember sending Lucas home, but she couldn't remember why she stayed.

With a flash, the memories washed over her and she felt like crying all over again. It was all repeating in her mind. Hearing that nurse saying her grandmothers name as she walked by. Pressing the nurse for information that she was reluctant to give, until she found out that Peyton was Grace's granddaughter. Then she had been sympathetic, as she informed Peyton about what was going on.

As Peyton fully regained her sense of bearing, she realized what had woken her up. There was a sharp tapping on the stall door, accompanied by a voice. "Peyton, honey, I know you're in there. I'm so sorry about what happened to Grace, but you need to come out sweetie. If you don't leave this bathroom soon, Lucas will probably burst in here, and we don't want a boy in the girls bathroom, do we?" Peyton recognised Haley's voice. She knew Haley was trying to joke, but she couldn't find any humor in the situation.

Still, there was something in Haley's voice. Peyton could tell that Haley knew something that she didn't. It could have been the tone of complete longing, or maybe Peyton just sensed it, but she had a horrible feeling about everything. She lurched to her feet without a word, maybe just a bit too quickly, because it gave her a head rush. Despite the fact that she felt like the ground was tilting underneath her, Peyton's hand found the lock, and the door swung outward, causing Peyton to fall forward, into Haley.

Haley caught Peyton automatically, but she really hadn't been expecting Peyton to come through the door, not that quickly, at least. "Hey, Peyt, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry, okay," her voice was full of sympathy and just a bit of pain as she wrapped Peyton in a hug, whispering into her hair. Haley was holding back her own tears as she waited for Peyton's response.

Peyton had still not regained her balance, but she pulled away from Haley. Vertigo caused her to still be unsteady, but she only kept her hand on Haley's arm, ignoring everything else. Haley looked worried, but Peyton didn't give her another chance to speak. "What happened, Hales? What do you know that I don't?" even as Peyton spoke the words, she felt her stomach tie up in knots. She knew something bad had happened, and she wasn't sure she wanted to hear Haley's answer.

Haley held tight to Peyton's arm to keep Peyton standing as she searched Peyton's tearstained face. She realized that Peyton hadn't heard yet, and she wished she could be outside the bathroom, away from here. Ever since she had befriended Lucas, Karen had been like her surrogate mother, and since Lucas and Peyton had been the best of friends, Haley had also adopted Grace as a surrogate grandmother. That made telling Peyton the news that much worse.

She could tell that Peyton needed to hear the news, though, and now was the time. So, despite the fact that she'd rather be anywhere else, Haley took a deep breath, preparing herself to say the words. "Peyton, sweetie, I am so sorry," she repeated. "Grace, um," she paused, swallowing. "She, um," she couldn't bring herself to say the words. "She's gone, Peyton," Haley finally managed to spit it out.

Peyton froze; everything else melted away. Those words just kept repeating, bouncing around and seeming to echo in her mind. 'She's gone.' Over and over, Peyton heard the words, until she wanted to yell out, scream, hit something, anything to make them stop. Instead of exploding, though, she seemed to implode, retreating into a deep dark corner of her mind. She wanted to crumple to the floor and cry, but the tears wouldn't come, and Haley was holding her up.

Then she heard it; her ray of hope in her now extremely dark life. "Peyton, babe, I know you're in there. Come out, please," Lucas's voice, accompanied by a pounding on the bathroom door. It was enough to keep Peyton holding on, although just barely. She pulled, with a force that she wasn't aware was still in her, out of Haley's grip, ignoring her friends concerned look as she walked out of the bathroom.

As soon as she was out of the room she fell right into Lucas's embrace. He wrapped his arms tight around her as she buried her face in his chest. Despite everything else, she actually felt somewhat okay in his embrace. She felt that the world might be alright again, one day. It gave her hope when she thought she didn't have any left, and it gave her something to hold on for. She managed to drift away for a little while, in his embrace, as he whispered soothing words into her hair.

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Peyton's head jerked up as she heard her name. She had been looking down at her lap, and her hands, trying to understand how she had been brought to this moment. Why had her mother been taken from her, when she was such a little girl? Why had her grandmother been taken from her, just when she had been trying to get to know her again? Why was the preacher saying all these words, describing a woman she didn't even know? He was describing a woman who had lost so much, and seemed weak, a woman who needed everyone else, when the truth was, everyone had needed her, so much more. He was talking about a woman who was now flying with the angels, when she had been one all along.

Peyton took a deep breath as Lucas nudged her. She finally realized why she had heard her name. She gave both her father's hand and Lucas's hand a squeeze before dropping them, reaching up with both her hands to feel underneath her eyes. They were still dry. With a deep sigh she stood up and straightened her black dress before heading to the front of the audience of people who had gathered for her grandmother's funeral.

She offered a small smile to the preacher-he truly didn't understand how far off he was- and shook his hand before taking his place at the podium. She looked out, at all the people who had gathered for Grace's funeral. It seemed like the whole town. People had even flown in from out of state. Peyton hadn't realized how much of a life Grace had had before having kids, and then grandkids, so it had surprised her how many people her father had invited.

It had taken two weeks to get everything prepared. Partly because Peyton had wanted to wait until Karen could come out of the hospital to be there, and partly because her dad had needed a week before he could come out and make the arrangements, and there had been a lot of arrangements to make. Peyton had tried to arrange things, but she had been unable to, and Lucas had convinced her to wait for her father.

Although, she hadn't cried since that day, though Haley's voice still bounced those two words around in her head, all the time. She didn't understand why the tears wouldn't come. Looking out at the crowd, she could see Lucas's tears, and Haley's. She saw Karen, sitting in a wheelchair in between the pews of the front row, holding her gorgeous newborn, tears flowing down her cheeks. Yet, Peyton's tears wouldn't come. She idly wondered if something was wrong with her.

Then she realized that she had been silent for too long in front of the crowd. The moment she had been dreading had finally arrived. "I'd like to start by thanking you all for coming. I honestly didn't know so many people knew my grandmother," she paused, her voice thick with emotion. "She really was a great woman, and looking back, I realize that I barely knew her. I never asked her about her past or anything, and I know she lived so many more years than I have, she must have had tons of great stories to tell, but I never even thought to ask," her voice was choked up, and she had to pause to take a breath.

Once she had composed herself enough, she sent Lucas a look that said she was alright. He was half-raised out of his seat, but sunk back down again once he had her reassurance that she wasn't going to break down. "Still, even though I didn't know much of her life before, I know how I saw her, and that's something I wouldn't change for the world. My grandmother was a strong woman. She was courageous and brave and always there for me. I'm going to miss her so much, but," she paused.

There were so many cliches that she could use right now, but none of them fit. Grace wasn't a cliche, and that's not how she should be described. "Actually, there is no but to that. I'm going to miss her, and you all are going to miss her. Sometime, in the near, or even distant future, we're going to miss her less though, and until then, I'll just be waiting for that day," she finished, walking over to the casket, which was closed, at Peyton's insistence. She wouldn't have been able to handle an open casket. She kissed her fingers, pressing them on the middle of the casket before whispering an 'I love you.'

She closed her eyes and paused for a minute, waiting for the words that she would never hear, from a voice that would never come back. After a moment she opened her eyes and returned to her seat. Lucas took one of her hands, giving it a kiss and a squeeze, and her father took her other hand. She leaned her head on Lucas's shoulder, searching for comfort that wasn't coming. Not yet anyway.

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The next morning Peyton was sitting in a lawyers office, her dad with her because she wasn't yet 18, and Lucas with her for moral support, waiting for the lawyer to arrive so Grace's will could be read. As Peyton was Grace's only granddaughter, since Peyton's Mom had been Grace's only daughter, they were reasonable sure that Grace had left everything to her. They still had to go through the legal procedure, though.

The door finally opened, and the lawyer stepped into his office. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I had some things to take care of," he spoke briskly as he walked into the room, just as Peyton, Lucas and Larry got to their feet. They each shook his hand in turn and he moved around to stand beside his desk. He gestured to the three seats they had just been in, and then the four of them sat down. "So, Miss Sawyer, I really am sorry for your loss," he said as he dug around in his briefcase, looking for the right papers.

Peyton couldn't say anything, and her father replied for her. When the lawyer had found his correct papers, he looked directly at Peyton. "I'm sure you'd like to get this over with as soon as possible," he started, and Peyton could only manage a nod as she waited for him to continue. "Well, it's a good thing Grace kept it simple, then. She left everything to you, including the house, some stuff she had in a storage unit in town, and everything in her bank account, which amounted to enough to certainly pay for nice university, and then have you covered for a few years after that," he offered her a small smile, as if the money and material things would make her miss her grandmother any less.

Peyton was somewhat shocked at the amount of money he had alluded to, but couldn't bring herself to find an interest in it. She nodded at him, letting him know she had understood what he had told her. He set the papers in front of her, looking around on his desk for a pen so she could sign. "Everything seems to be squared away, then. I do have a question, though. Will you be living in the house, or selling it?" he asked, handing her a pen.

Peyton's response was so automatic, that she began signing, looking down at the paper as she answered. "Living in it." Unfortunately, at the same time, her father answered the opposite. Peyton's head snapped up to look at her dad, who was now looking back at her. "What do you mean selling it? I can't sell that house," she asked, looking at him as if she was waiting for him to tell her he had made a mistake in his word choice.

Larry eyed his daughter warily. "Do you expect to live in it alone, Peyton? I don't think so. You don't live in Tree Hill. Besides, we have a nice home already, Honey, and you could use the money. Need I remind you, you're not 18 yet. It's not your decision," he replied, an eyebrow raised as he stared right back at her, neither one of them backing down.

Peyton shook her head adamantly, and it was suddenly as if she and her father were alone in the room. She didn't acknoledge Lucas, or the lawyer at all. "She left the house to me, not you. I won't sell it. I turn 18 in a month. I don't need the money. Didn't you just hear? I have enough for college and then some, and that's if I even go to college. As for the living alone part, I live alone just fine in that house you already own," she stated stubbornly.

Larry regarded his daughter for a moment, then, noticing the others in the room, he nodded, giving her a 'we'll talk about this later,' look. Peyton rolled her eyes, picking up the pen and finishing her signature. She had been passive about every other decision in the past two weeks, but on this one she refused to back down. She had already been making plans about moving out here, what did it matter if it was a little sooner than she had originally been planning. She'd be with Lucas, and though she would miss her friends, there was always the phone. She could finish out her remaining time in high school at Tree Hill High.

A few hours later, Lucas and Peyton were sitting together in Karen's Cafe. They had both excused themselves from their families and snuck to the Cafe, which was empty because Karen had closed it for a few days, until she was given clearance from her doctor to open it back up. Lucas and Peyton had just wanted some alone time, which was why they had headed someplace empty. He had taken her up to the roof and they were laying, looking up at the sky, in silence.

Lucas moved Peyton's head from his shoulder, and sat up unexpectedly. Peyton could tell he had something he wanted to say, so she sat up to, pulling her knees to her chest and setting her chin on them so she could look over at him as she waited for him to say what he needed to say. "Did you mean what you said?" he asked after a moment.

Peyton thought back, wondering what he could be talking about. She bit her lip for a moment as she thought, but she couldn't figure out what he meant. "You're going to have to be more specific. Tell me what I said and I'll tell you if I meant it," she replied, trying to decipher the look on his face. She couldn't think of anything unordinary that she had said recently.

Lucas was a little surprised that she wasn't expecting this. Then again, she had bee different since Grace's death. It really shouldn't have surprised him that she wasn't as observant as she usually is. "Well, what I mean is today, at the lawyers office. Did you really mean what you said about moving into Grace's house?" he asked, clarifing for her.

Peyton finally realized what it was talking about. She wasn't sure how to respond, though. She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I did mean it," she paused, still trying to decipher his expression. "Why do you ask?" she finally asked, giving up on trying to figure out what he was thinking. Not much mattered to her right now, and the conversation seemed kind of pointless. Did he really think she'd sell the house?

He reached out and tenderly took one of her hands, lacing their fingers together. With the other hand he reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his hand lingering at her cheek. "Don't take this the wrong way," he warned. Her detached expression didn't change. "Are you sure you'll heal, living in Grace's house? Not that I wouldn't love having you live in Tree Hill," he was quick to add, wary of her normal way of overreacting to some things.

Peyton didn't react in the way he expected at all. She pulled her hand out of his, looking away, back up at the clouds again. She waited a long moment before answering, just to make sure her voice would be steady when she did. "That's not why I'm moving in to her house. I just can't sell it," she had to pause as her voice cracked. She continued before he could move, though he wanted to take her into his arms. "No, to answer your question, that's not how I plan on healing. I plan on healing like this," she leaned into him once more, letting him wrap his arms around her again. "As long as I have you to hold on to, I'll be fine," she explained.

Lucas held her even tighter in a reaction to her words. He understood what she meant. He placed a light kiss on her forehead. "I guess I'll have to stick around then," he teased. Peyton stayed silent and he continued. "Honestly, though, there isn't anywhere I'd rather be. As long as you need me to hold you, that's where I'll be," he promised her, placing another kiss on her temple.

A/N: This chapter is a little sad. Sorry it took so long. For the past few days I've been having computer issues, so I haven't been able to write. They should be fixed now, though. Anyway, let me know what you think, and you just might get an update tomorrow. I'm not making any promises, but I have a chapter of one of my other fics almost finished. Oh, by the way, who's seen this week's One Tree Hill? Isn't it so cute that Leyton is finally having a baby? It's about time, I say. Hope I didn't spoil anything for anyone. Please Review.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. 


	24. Chapter 23

It had been two months since the funeral and since Peyton had started at Tree Hill High School. She had held firm in her decision to move into Grace's house, and her father had seen that, so he had allowed her to transfer high schools and to move. Still, she wasn't her normal self. She hadn't been her normal self. She went out when Lucas asked her to, and she went to school every day, she even got caught up on the couple weeks she had missed with Haley's help, but she never showed any enthusiasm anymore.

She avoided the cemetery completely, not even going to see her mom anymore, even though she had gone everyday every time she was in town before. She didn't play basketball at the Rivercourt anymore, like she used to. Sometimes she watched him, but she never played. She didn't even draw anymore, and that was what scared Lucas the most. She wasn't expressing herself like she used to, it was like she was just following the motions, a shell of the person she had used to be.

He had tried on multiple occassions to talk to her about it, but he never got through to her. She would always get angry and storm off. It was the only time she ever showed emotion. She wouldn't talk about Grace either. He had mentioned her once, but Peyton's eyes had filled with such pain that he couldn't stand to bring her up again. So he left both of those topics taboo, not wanting to push her away.

He felt relatively sure that she would open up to him, on her own time, but he was starting to wonder when that time would be. He didn't want to push her, and he knew she would need time to get over the loss of her grandmother, but he was beginning to worry that if she didn't come out of her shell soon, that she never would. She hadn't taken this long to get over what had happened with her stalker, and he knew this wasn't the same thing, but the whole situation still worried him.

Which is why he had called in reinforcements. Peyton had been completely shutting out almost everyone that wasn't Lucas or her father, including Rachel. Rachel had also tried and failed to get through to her. So, that had caused Lucas to call someone else. They had a three day weekend coming up, so the help Lucas had called in would be arriving Friday evening and leaving Monday.

That Friday, after school, Lucas and Peyton were at the Rivercourt. Lucas was shooting hoops and Peyton was just sitting there, lost in thought, staring at nothing. He kept shooting her looks, but she either didn't notice, or just ignored them. Finally, at about dusk, Lucas stopped, grabbing the ball and walking over to the bleachers where Peyton was sitting. He dropped the ball next to her, but she didn't flinch, she continued to sit, her knees pulled up to her chest, with her chin resting on them, staring out towards the river.

Lucas surpressed the urge to say something, anything to get a response, and pulled out his cell phone. It was just about time for his visitor to be arriving in town. He pulled out his cell phone and wrote out a text, half-expecting Peyton to ask what he was doing, but she stayed silent. When he put his phone away he sat next to her, reaching out and taking one of her hands, lacing their fingers together. "Peyt," he said cautiously.

Peyton finally snapped out of her reverie, looking over at him and raising an eyebrow, but still not saying anything. He sighed, she had been mostly silent as well, not saying anything unless it was absolutely necessary. "You ready to go?" he asked and she shrugged. He took a deep breath before standing, using the hand he was holding to pull her to her feet.

He walked to the truck, still holding her hand, which was pretty much limp in his. When they stopped at the passenger side and he opened the door for her, he gave her hand a kiss, waiting for her to climb in and then closing the door for her before making his way to the other side of the truck. He received a text back as he was climbing in behind the wheel and he wrote a one-word reply before returning his phone to his pocket.

As he drove her back to Grace's house, he turned the music to a station he knew she used to like, but she just switched it off, preferring to be in silence, which was usual as of lately. He wanted to reach for her hand again, but she was sitting on her hands, looking out the window at the scenery as they passed. He took a deep breath and watched the road, hoping that this weekend would help break down Peyton's walls again. He missed the real Peyton, his Peyton.

When he pulled into the driveway he saw an unfamiliar car parked in front of the house, and he knew that it was time. Peyton didn't see the car, she was looking down at her lap as she waited for Lucas to come around and open the door for her. He did, and she got out, reaching up and pressing a light kiss to his cheek before heading toward the house. It was pretty much her way of saying goodbye these days.

The door of the other car opened, and a person climbed out, meeting Lucas's gaze. He nodded and offered a smile, the look in his eyes clearly saying, 'good luck.' Then he climbed back into his truck, not watching as he backed out of the driveway and pulled away. The person who had gotten out of the car, which Peyton still hadn't noticed, turned toward the house. "P. Sawyer," she called.

Peyton stopped, just as she had reached the front door. She turned on her heel, finally noticing the car and the person who had just gotten out of it. "What happened, P? You move out here and just forget about me? What's up with that?" Peyton didn't move; she was still in shock. "Now I don't even get a hug? I come all this way to see you and this is what I get?" she asked.

Peyton finally shook off the shock, smiling a half-smile that was more the ghost of a smile than anything else. Still, it was more than anyone else had gotten out of her in the past two and a half months. She walked over to her friend and was engulfed in a hug. "B. Davis. It's good to see you," Peyton spoke softly, but her words were genuine.

Brooke pulled back, examining her once best friend. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Despite the fact that Peyton really did look bad, she was happy to see her. "Geez, don't you eat at all? I swear, if you lose anymore weight, you'll make me look fat," she complained, a teasing smile on her face. Peyton really was underweight, though. She had barely eaten except when Lucas forced her. She also had thick bags under her eyes, which was a result of the lack of sleep.

Peyton shrugged, and though she had already said more words than she had in about a week, she opened her mouth to speak again. "Well, we can't have that, now, can we?" she spoke louder this time and Brooke noticed that her voice was raspy, hoarse from lack of use. Brooke eyed her once best friend, shaking her head slightly as she looked her up and down. Peyton quirked her eyebrow. "What?" she rasped.

Brooke shook her head more firmly this time, taking Peyton's hand and leading her toward the house. "That Comet of yours is in the garage, right?" she asked. Peyton didn't know where the question came from but she nodded, just following along as Brooke led her into the house and into the garage. A few minutes later they were driving the backstreets of Tree Hill with the top down. "You're going to have to pay attention to where we are, because I have no idea," Brooke said, closing her eyes for a brief moment as she felt the wind on her face. She pressed the gas pedal even harder.

Brooke was the one driving because Peyton hadn't wanted to. Peyton hadn't driven her Comet since her dad had driven it to Tree Hill with all her stuff from her old home. Every time she went somewhere, Lucas drove her, and when he drove her they took his truck. Brooke knew how much the Comet meant to her, though, so she had decided to make this the first part in Operation Bring Back Peyton.

Peyton was silent for most of the drive, just staring out the window, but not really seeing anything, just like she did in Lucas's truck, all the time. She ignored the radio, which was tuned to her favorite station, with one of her favorite songs playing, but she didn't turn it off. Brooke was just about to ask her a question, something that would entice a response, but Peyton turned to her. "Why are you here?" she asked, her hoarse voice cracking.

Brooke took a deep breath, not looking at Peyton. She decided that it probably wouldn't be best to start off with the whole truth. She turned to her friend and grinned widely. "I'm here to see this town that you chose over me. I mean, what was worth transfering high schools in the middle of Senior year. This town has to be pretty cool if you did that, and the last time I was here I didn't get to see much," she was trying to keep the tone light and teasing.

Peyton paused, not really accepting the answer, but she just brushed it off with a shrug. She decided that reliving some of her better memories might even be a good thing. She looked at the scenery, really seeing it this time, looking for a memory to share. She pointed to a spot right next to the water, as they made a turn around the bend. "When my father told me we were moving, I ran away from home. I was, what, eight, and I left with nothing but the clothes on my back, thinking I'd find a place and never have to leave Tree Hill," she laughed, and though it was only the ghost of a laugh, it was the closest noise to a laugh that she'd made in over two months.

She paused for a moment, and Brooke was just about to ask what happened next in the story when she continued. "Well, my father and everyone else were looking around town, but Lucas knew that I would be headed out here. The only problem was, no one would listen to him. So, amidst as the chaos and confusion, he slipped away from his mother, coming to meet me himself," she smiled at the memory, and it almost reached her eyes. "He found me right there, and he convinced me that moving might not be such a bad thing," she cleared her throat.

Brooke smiled at the sight of Peyton's smile, she was sure it hadn't been seen in a long time. This had been part of her plan. Get Peyton to remember the old times, first the easier memories, involving Lucas, and then move onto the harder memories, the ones involving Grace. "How did he know where to find you?" she asked, truly curious, although part of her just wanted to keep Peyton talking.

Peyton closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again, looking at Brooke. "A lot of times, when I wanted to go somewhere to be alone, I would come out here. My dad didn't know that, because I usually came out here when he was on a job. I came out here when I missed him. My mom didn't let him take jobs often, though, so I was very surprised when Lucas found me, even though he had been out here with me before," as she spoke a small smile formed on her lips, mainly because she was thinking about Lucas.

She shook her head and got lost in the memory. Her eyes were on the spot as they passed, but she wasn't seeing the present, she was in the distant past. "I hadn't realized by then that I liked him, of couse, but it still hurt me that he was trying to convince me to move, instead of convincing me to stay. So, being as young as I was, I spoke my mind, and asked him if he wanted me to stay," she confessed. "Lucas was so sweet. He said, 'Of course I want you to stay. You're my bestest friend. You'll always be my bestest friend though, even if you go, and your daddy says you'll be happier if you go.'"

Both girls were silent for a moment, taking in the scenery still. "See, even then, Lucas just wanted you to be happy. That's all he wants now, you know," Brooke spoke softly, but Peyton had started looking out the window again, and, since her expression didn't change at Brooke's words, Brooke wasn't even sure if she heard her. Brooke sighed and went silent again, decided to be patient.

Throughout the rest of their drive in the backstreets of Tree Hill, Peyton was silent. She went right back to staring out the window, lifelessly, as if she hadn't been perfectly animated and regaining some of her life just minutes ago. Brooke decided it might be better to go to a few places in town. So, for her first stop, she went to one of the few places she knew.

When she pulled to a stop at the Rivercourt, Peyton looked over at her, one eyebrow raised over her once again lifeless green eyes. Peyton hadn't even known that Brooke knew about the Rivercourt. Brooke only knew because Lucas had told her, but she couldn't say that, not yet. Brooke sighed, getting out of the car. Peyton followed her lead, and Brooke went to stand in the middle of the court. "When Jake and I were leaving town this summer, he drove by to show me where he got punched," she lied, just because Peyton was still throwing her a questioning look.

Peyton walked over to the bleachers and sat down, her interest gone just as quick as it had been sparked. Brooke walked over and sat next to her. "Hey, P. Sawyer, tell me some of the things that have gone on here," she prodded when she realized that Peyton still wasn't going to sat anything. Peyton seemed to be out of it, so Brooke bumped her shoulder into Peyton's waiting until she had Peyton's attention before she repeated her question.

Peyton just shrugged, thinking of something to say. There were a lot of memories on this basketball court. She had to think for a while, not to find one, but to decide which one to tell. She smiled as she decided on one, and this smile had just a bit more life than the last one. "Well, right there, in the middle of the court, is the place where Lucas and I shared our first kiss, right before I moved away. I even slept with him on this court, after my whole stalker incident," she laughed at Brooke's grimace.

Brooke held her hands up to her ears, humming loudly. She was mainly doing it to make Peyton laugh, because she knew she deserved it. Especially since Peyton had walked in on her and Jake, while Peyton had still been dating Jake. "Okay, lets hear about some memories that doesn't involve PDA with you and your lover boy," she said after a moment, when she had deemed it safe to let down her hands.

Peyton rolled her eyes, and smiled. Then she began to tell of some of the more appropriate times on the court. The times they had spent just playing baskt ball, or even just talking. It was the most she'd talked in over two months. It was more words than she'd said in that whole time put together. "Let's go back to my house, and we can hang out and talk there," she said when it began to get cold.

Brooke agreed and they both got in the car again. This time, instead of turning the music off, Peyton turned it up when she heard a song she liked. She definately wasn't completely healed yet, but she was on her way to being the person she was. She still didn't want to drive the Comet, though. A few minutes after Brooke had started driving, Peyton looked away from the scenery, turning the music down. "Why are you really here?" she asked Brooke, wanting the hoenst truth this time.

Brooke didn't look at Peyton for a long moment. Then she sighed. "Peyton, what's going on with you? Lucas tells me you never talk anymore, you never draw, you never even listen to music. What happened? You can't stop living your life because Grace is gone. It's not what she would have wanted," she spoke evenly, keeping the car moving so Peyton couldn't get out.

Peyton began to show the only emotion she had shown in the past two and a half months. She got angry. Anger was an easier emotion, probably the easiest emotion, because she didn't have to think about it as much. "What the hell, Brooke? Lucas told you? You don't know crap about how it's been for me. And as for Lucas telling you, if he had a problem, he should have come to me about it, not you," she yelled. "Let me out of the car," she began to grip the handle.

Brooke reached over with one hand, but didn't stop the car. "Peyton! Peyton, stop," she spoke loudly as Peyton swatted her hands away. She could see Peyton wasn't ready to listen, but she went on anyway, still fighting to keep Peyton in the car. "Peyton, Lucas is worried for you, and he has been. He tells me you haven't gone to Grace's grave, or even your mothers. Don't get mad at Lucas. He just wants you back. We all do," her voice was pleading as she explained.

Peyton kept slapping at Brooke's hand for a moment, still trying to get out. Brooke looked over at Peyton, her eyes practically begging Peyton to stay and talk. Peyton stubbornly refused to look at Brooke, looking forward instead. Brooke, still looking at Peyton, noticed her eyes widen and she moved her hands to point forward. "Look out," she called, and Brooke looked forward, her eyes widening in fear as she also noticed the car coming right at them.

Her hands moved to the wheel and she turned it. She was closer to the opposite side of the road, so she tried to pull onto the left shoulder, but there was no time. The car crashed right into the passenger's side of the Comet, making Peyton closest to the point of impact. Brooke was thrown forward, into the wheel, but she wasn't knocked out, just dazed.

She got out of the car, as she realized she smelled gas, but it took her a moment to notice that Peyton wasn't moving. The person in the other car seemed to be just fine, though, and he helped Brooke pull Peyton out of the Comet. "Peyton, Peyton, answer me," she yelled at her friend as the stranger laid Peyton on the ground. "P Sawyer, come on, you have to be alright," she was crying now. The stranger told Brooke that his car was okay, and that they should take Peyton straight to the hospital.

Brooke agreed and once they got Peyton into the backseat of his car, she called the cops to take care of the scene. Once she got off the phone with the police she realized she still had time, so she called Lucas as well. "Lucas, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry," she sobbed into the phone, tears pouring down her face. "There's been an accident."

Lucas was alarmed at hearing Brooke's hysterical apology, but when he heard the last four words she said, his heart stopped. "Brooke, what about Peyton?" he asked, but all he got was more hysterical sobs in reply. "What happened to Peyton, Brooke? Where are you?" he was getting frantic now, and he had jumped up, leaving his mother confused in the living room as he made his way to his car.

Brooke tried to control her sobs enough to answer him. It took her a few minutes. "She's not conscious Lucas. She's bleeding, a lot. You need to come to the hospital," she sobbed. Then she had to get off the phone, because they pulled to a stop in front of Tree Hill Memorial. Lucas was already in the truck at her last words, and he was speeding down the street as he shut his phone, putting it back in his pocket.

A/N: This was an intense chapter. I honestly hadn't been planning on putting in a car accident, but, hey, these things happen. Besides, I always make Lucas get in car accidents. I decided it was Peyton's turn this time. So, anyway, tell me what you think. I love getting your reviews people, and they do inspire me.

Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with Mark Schwan or the CW. One Tree Hill and it's characters are not mine in any way. I don't know how I could make it any clearer than that. 


	25. Chapter 24

Peyton opened her eyes, only to see a blue sky above her, with only a few fluffy white clouds. "It's about time," she heard a voice from above her. She knew that voice, it was a voice she hadn't expected to ever hear again. She sat up quickly, trying to find the body that went with the voice. She spotted Keith, and stood, her attention fully on him as she tried to gain her bearings. Where was she?

She was eying Keith as he stared at her, amusement in his eyes, though he managed to keep the smile off of his face. Peyton looked down at herself, then back up at Keith, then she pinched her arm. "Ow," she muttered, rubbing the spot where she had pinched. Keith couldn't help the laughter this time. She looked back up at him. "What's going on? Am I dead? What happened?" she asked the three questions in quick succession before she began to look around. She was in a meadow that she didn't recognize, and she had no idea how she got there. "Is this a dream?" she added, almost as an afterthought.

Keith stopped laughing, looking aroung at the meadow. Then he turned his gaze back on Peyton. "No you're not dead," he said, and Peyton felt the relief flood through her. "Not yet, anyway," he added, and she tensed up again. She looked at him questioningly, wondering what exactly he meant. "It's up to you whether or not you die," he answered her unasked question. She opened her mouth to speak up, but he held up his hand. "I have a few things to show you before you make your decision," he finished.

Before Peyton could say anything, the scene around them changed. Peyton recognized the living room in Grace's house, well, her house. It was years before, though, about 14 years before. Peyton saw Grace sitting on the couch, and she wanted to run and hug her grandmother, but there was someone already sitting in Grace's lap. Upon looking closer, Peyton realized that it was her, as a four year old. "He's in heaven, sweetie, but he'll always be with you, in your heart," she heard Grace's voice.

It was then that Peyton realized her mom was sitting next to Grace. Because of Grace's words, she remembered when the memory was. It had been right after her grandfather had died, and they were explaining to her about death. She stepped closer, forgetting that Keith was there, and reached out, trying to touch her mother's face. Peyton's hand went right through her mom's face. "You can't talk to them. They can't hear or see you. You just have to watch," Keith spoke up from behind her.

Peyton focused more closely on the scene again. She knew exactly what her younger self was going to say, and she found herself mouthing the words as well. "Does he still love me?" she had asked. Peyton remembered sitting on Grace's knee, learning about death. It wasn't something she had really understood at that time. All she had gotten out of the talk was the fact that her grandfather wouldn't be coming back, but he still loved her very much.

Peyton watched her mother nod adamantly. She remembered that her mother spoke up next and she stayed silent, longing to hear her mother's voice. "Of couse he does, honey. He loves all of us. He just can't be here in body. He's gone up to heaven," Anna said, and Peyton felt tears well up in her eyes at hearing the sound of her mother's voice. She hadn't heard it in too long.

Little Peyton contemplated this for a moment. From the look on her face it was easy to tell she was thinking. She was even biting her lip, just like she still did. Peyton hadn't realized that she had had that habit for that long. Finally, the young Peyton looked up at her grandmother, her green eyes big and innocent. "What's heaven like?" she had asked.

Peyton could remember the answer to the question, and she felt the tears slip from her eyes. The whole scene was different from this point of view, knowing what she now knew. Grace looked down at her granddaughter, trying to find the right way to explain. "Well, angel, heaven is a wonderful place. It's different for everyone. It has the best things you could ever imagine. I think in heaven your grandfather has a refrigerator that is always full of beer, a huge flat screen TV, and I think in your grandfathers version of heaven it's football season all year," she laughed lightly and young Peyton smiled as she thought of it. She knew those were all of her grandfather's favorite things.

Grace's face grew a little more serious after a moment, though. "The point, sweetie, is that, I don't want you to dwell on the fact that your grandfather is gone. He's in a better place now, and he's going to watch over you forever. You can miss him, and I know we all will, but don't stop living your life because he's gone. I would never want you to stop living because I died, and I'm sure he agrees with me. Just remember that," Grace placed a kiss on little Peyton's forehead, and then the scene dissolved away, and Peyton and Keith were in the meadow again.

Peyton took a deep breath, now trying to control the silent tears that were slipping down her cheeks. "Why did you show me that, Keith? And you still haven't answered my first question. What's going on? Why can't I just be dead already, so I can be with my grandparents and my mother?" she moaned, not really thinking about what she was saying. That's not to say she hadn't thought about dying since Grace had died. She was really tired off all the bad things that happened to her, and she was starting to wonder if she wouldn't be happier in heaven.

Keith shook his head, looking up at the sky. "This is going to be harder than I thought," he mumbled to himself. "Peyton," he spoke up, waiting until he had her attention before continuing. "Do you understand how selfish what you just said was?" he asked, still a little appalled. He had never actually expected it to be this bad, even if he had been watching Peyton for the past two and a half months. "Do you know what I would give, so I could go back and change the day of the school shooting? I'd give anything to be back with Karen, and Lucas. And you want to leave that behind?" his voice raised as he tried to prove his point.

Peyton flinched at his words, and she realized that what she had said had been inconsiderate to Keith. She knew he would do anything to be alive again, and here she was, shoving the fact that she could have her life back and she didn't want it in his face. She sighed. "I'm sorry, Keith. For what it's worth, he misses you. They both do, and your daughter is the cutest thing I've ever seen," she informed him.

Keith backed off, running his hand through his hair, and turning, so Peyton couldn't see the tear that slipped from his eye. He knew his daughter was gorgeous. Of course she was, she belonged to Karen also. He missed them so much, and wished everyday that he could be there with them, but that didn't stop him from watching over them. "You know, trying to convince you that your life is worth it is not the only reason I'm here," he said, his back still towards her. "I'm here because my killer hasn't been brought to justice yet, and I'm stuck in this world between worlds until he is. So I thought I'd help you get your life back while I waited," he chuckled, but it was a harsh sound, with no humor in it.

Peyton listened to his words carefully. After a moment Keith continued. "You know it'll crush him if you die," he said turning to face Peyton as he spoke. Peyton didn't need to ask to know who Keith was referring to. "So, I guess in a way I'm looking out for my nephew, too. It was killing him even before the accident, to just sit by and watch you suffer, wanting to help you, but not knowing how to. It was killing him that you didn't let him in. You guys have been through so much together, already, and all he wants is to be there for you, but you have to want his help," he said.

Peyton listened to Keith's words, growing frustrated. "What if I don't want his help? What if I don't want anyone's help? I just want the pain to stop," she was crying and she wiped furiously at her eyes. "You don't get it, Keith. Your life was great when you died. Of course you'd do anything to get it back. Mine wasn't perfect. The only reason I was still there was Lucas, but what if I can't deal anymore?" her voice broke and she fell silent for a minute. "Why do all these things keep happening to me? Why can't I ever just be happy, without all the hard things in life?" her voice was quiet, and broken.

Keith didn't have an answer for her this time, and Peyton realized that after a few moments of silence. She turned away, falling onto the ground as her tears became sobs. As far as she was concerned, the conversation was over. If he didn't have an answer for that, there was nothing he could say to her right now. Keith waited a moment, until she could get ahold of her sobs. The truth was, though, at that moment she couldn't. He knew she needed to cry, because she hadn't since she had learned of Grace's death. So he just let her.

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Lucas ran into the hospital's ER, asking the first nurse he saw about Peyton Sawyer. Brooke noticed him before the nurse got a chance to reply. She had heard Lucas's frantic voice and leapt out of the chair she had been sitting in, sobbing her heart out. "Lucas," she sobbed, getting his attention. When he turned to face her, she fell into his arms, just needing a hug. She had already called Jake, Rachel, Haley and Nathan, and Peyton's father, but the person she really needed wouldn't be here until his plane landed, so she would have to make due with a hug from Lucas, even though she barely knew him. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry," she moaned into his chest.

Lucas wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back. He could tell that she really cared about Peyton and she felt horrible, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything to comfort her. He was too worried about Peyton. She seemed to get that. She leaned back, trying to wipe at her sobs. "They won't tell me anything except that she's in surgery now. They said something about internal bleeding and bruising, but they also said they couldn't tell me because I wasn't family," she explained.

After a moment's pause her sobs started coming harder. "I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't make it. It'll be all my fault. I'll never be able to live with myself," she sobbed, and she started pacing the floor of the waiting room. Lucas had nothing to say to comfort her. He was lost in his own thoughts. If Peyton didn't make it, he wasn't sure he'd be able to. He didn't even get a chance to tell her goodbye. All he wanted was to hold her in his arms, and tell her that he loves her.

About twenty minutes later, Nathan and Haley came into the hospital. Haley saw her best friend and immediately pulled him into a hug. She knew how bad he must be feeling, because she knew how she felt, and she knew he had to be feeling a million times worse. Peyton was only one of her best friends. She couldn't even imagine what it would be like if it were Nathan in the hospital, fighting for his life, and she never wanted to find out. When she let go of Lucas, she took Nathan's hand with one hand, and continued to rub Lucas's back with the other.

They all took seats, except Brooke, who continued to pace, silent tears still streaming down her face. Lucas couldn't bring himself to cry. He wouldn't allow any tears until he knew what was really going on. After a long silence, Haley finally let her curiousity get the better of her. "What happened?" she asked. All she knew was that there had been an accident, and Peyton was hurt. She noticed Brooke's head was bandaged, so she looked at Brooke for an answer, correctly assuming that Brooke had been the one involved.

Brooke collapsed into a chair, knowing that she'd be unable to stand while she told the story. She took a shaky breath and began. "I came out here because Lucas asked me to try to talk to Peyton. We went for a drive because I know she loves her Comet and I wanted to hear more about the town. I thought it'd help heal her if she thought about the good times," she paused to take another shaky breath. "We stopped at the Rivercourt for a while, and everything seemed to be going good. She wasn't her normal self yet, but I really thought that I was making some progress," she stopped as a fresh wave of tears over came her.

When she got control of her voice again, she continued. "Well, on the way home, she asked me why I came. I decided to tell her the truth. I thought she'd be able to handle it. She couldn't," Lucas, Haley and Nathan were all hanging on Brooke's every word, trying to understand what had happened. "She tried to get out of the car while I was still driving. I had to let go of the wheel to stop her from jumping out of a moving vehicle," she buried her face in her hands at this point, trying to muffle her sobs.

She kept her face in her hands as she continued, but they could hear her just fine. "I didn't even see the car coming toward us. The Comet swerved, and it hit Peyton, straight on," she managed to finish before she was sobbing uncontrolably again. Haley was crying somewhat too, but she let go of both Lucas and Nathan to comfort Brooke. She could tell Brooke needed it the most right now, even if she barely knew her. Haley didn't have it in her to not comfort someone who needed it. Lucas couldn't even stop the tears that leaked out of his eyes, though he tried to control them.

It was a few hours before the doctor came out. Lucas jumped up as soon as he heard the doctor call Peyton's name. The doctor eyed him for a minute, then asked if he was family. He knew he had to think of something, and quick. Larry wouldn't arrive for a while, and he needed to know what was going on with Peyton. "I'm her fiance," he fibbed. He was going to marry her one day, what did it matter if he screwed up the truth a bit. "Look, her dad's not going to be here for a while and if I don't hear what's going on with her, I'm going to lose my mind," he pleaded with the doctor when he still looked a bit skeptical.

The doctor could tell that Lucas wasn't kidding. He looked sympathetically at the young man, who didn't know the fate of his own soul mate. He knew it was hospital procedure to tell the rest of them to leave, but he could tell that they really cared about the girl too, so he didn't push it. "Well, she had some internal bleeding that we had to go in and patch up. She also had a couple of broken ribs and she broke her left leg in three places, which we had to set. She had a collapsed lung, that we had to fix. She also seems to have fallen into a coma, though. If she makes it through the next twelve hours, she'll probably come out of the coma, but, really, it's up to her," he explained.

Lucas listened to what the doctor said, and it felt like his heart was ripped out of his chest. He wanted to break down, but he wouldn't, not in the hospital, not in front of the doctor. He needed to see Peyton. "Can I see her?" he asked desperately. He needed to see her with his own eyes to know that this was all real. Right now, his only hope was that this was a horrible dream.

The doctor paused for a moment, thinking it over. He really shouldn't let the young man in until her father gets here. If he really was her fiance, though, then he had the right to see her. After some hesitation, he nodded. "Yes, but only you. She's been moved to her own room, and you can go in there. Follow me," he said before turning, walking down the hallway.

Lucas looked back at Brooke, Haley and Nathan, not even needing to think about it before following the doctor. Brooke watched him go, wishing she could go with him, but not even bothering to ask. As much as she wanted to see Peyton, she needed to stay in the waiting room and wait for Jake to arrive. She needed comfort more than anything else right now, and the only one besides Peyton who would be able to give it to her was Jake. So the three silently took seats again, just waiting.

Lucas followed the doctor to Peyton's room, now kind of nervous. He knew she wasn't going to look like his Peyton, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to bear it, but he had to see her. At the doorway, the doctor stopped. "This is her room. I don't imagine she'll be waking up anytime soon, but you can stay here as long as you wish," he said before turning and walking away, leaving Lucas standing alone outside of Peyton's hospital room.

Lucas gulped as he paused outside of her doorway, trying to ready himself. After a moment of bracing himself, he opened the door, pushing it open slowly. He cautiously stepping into the room, before closing the door behind himself. He tried not to look at the bed as he walked across the room, so he looked down at his feet until he reached the bed. When he was standing right next to the bed, he looked up.

Peyton was so pale, and she looked so broken. She was attached to many machines, machines that helped her breath, machines that checked her blood pressure and heart rate, and machines that he didn't even know the function of. He could tell that her ribs were wrapped, but almost every other part of her looked battered and bruised, too. She hadn't looked this bad the last time he had seen her in the hospital.

As he examined her face, he could barely recognize her. She had a bandage wrapped around her head, and bruises forming on her cheeks and under both her eyes. It looked like she had broken her nose, maybe on impact. Her lip was also cut and swollen. She looked like she had been in a fight. Her arms were also bruised, and if he didn't know the reason she was in the hospital, he would have assumed that she had been beaten. It really tore at his heart to see her like this. It was much worse than the last time she had been in the hospital, because there was much more physical evidence this time.

With a sigh, he leaned down, trying and failing to find a clear spot to put his lips, he settled for lightly kissing one of the cuts on her forehead. "Hey, Blondie," he said; he had heard it was good to talk to people in comas, and he intended on letting her know that he was here. He pulled one of the chairs in the room up to the bed, and took a seat, settling himself in and taking her hand, what appeared to be the only unbattered part of her body.

His thumb gently rubbed her palm as he sat next to her. He spent a long time just sitting next to her, trying to control his tears and find the right words to let her know how much he needed her back. He really wouldn't be able to survive if she didn't make it. "So, Peyt, I guess you thought it's been too long since you scared the hell out of me. You just had to land yourself back in the hospital, did you? Are our lives not hectic enough? Not painful enough?" he finally said, trying to inflict a casual, teasing tone on his voice and failing.

He paused a moment. He had really wanted to be nonchalant about this, but it was impossible. He couldn't be nonchalant when his soul mate might die. He took a deep, shaky breath, and opened his mouth to speak again. "Peyton, please. You've got to come back to me. I love you and need you so much, and I'm so sorry, but please, don't leave me," he pleaded with her, his voice broken.

He kept his eyes on her broken face the whole time he spoke, wanting nothing more than for her to open her eyes so he could see that stunning green again. "I'm sorry I called Brooke in, but I didn't know what else to do. I felt like I was losing you, like you were slowly slipping away. I thought she might help. Now you're here, and you really are slipping away," his voice broke.

He couldn't speak for a long moment as he regained control of his voice. "You have to come back. I can't live without you. I can't survive without you anymore, Peyton. I need to see those green eyes, and that smile that you only let out once in a while. I need to hear your sweet voice and your laugh when you're trying desperately to not even smile. You need to come back, and draw, like you used to, and listen to your music that's sometimes just a bit depressing. I want to see you bite your lip again, when your nervous. I miss all your little quirks, like how you play with my fingers when we're holding hands, and I miss the way you sing and dance when you think nobodies watching. I miss the way you talk in your sleep, and you manage to curl up even closer to me, when I think there's no possible way we could be closer," he let out a hollow chuckle. "I even miss your stubbornness, because it's a part of who you are," he added.

He felt a tear slip off of his cheek, hitting his hand and he reached up, leaving only one hand holding hers, to wipe his tears away before clutching her tiny hand in both of his again. "I've been so scared of losing you, recently, and I didn't even think you'd leave me physically as well as mentally. It was hard enough, you slipping away like that. Don't leave me, Peyton. Please, you can't leave me," now he was begging, and he didn't even care, if she would only wake up.

He looked at her hand, lacing her fingers through his. "I love how your hand fits perfectly in mine. I love how we fit perfectly together, as if were were made for each other, which I know we were. I love how your hair always smells like your shampoo, and when you sleep in my bed, you always leave your scent lingering in my sheets and on my pillowcases. I love the way you always tell me whats on your mind, actually, you tell everyone what's on your mind," he chuckled hollowly again. "I love you, with all my heart and soul and every fiber of my being. It would be really great if you could hear me right now, and if you can, please, just send me some sign that you can hear me, and that your coming back. Move just one finger, just a little, and I'll know that all my hope is not without reason," he said.

He waited, staring at her hand in his, but nothing happened. He waited a long time, just staring at her hand, but nothing moved. Eventually he gave up, deciding to just sit there, because there was nowhere else he wanted to be. He had every intention of staying there until she woke up, even if it took days. He remembered the lie he had told the doctor, and pulled the ring box out of his pocket. He kept it on him at all times, even though she had said someday. He pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it on the third finger of her left hand, loving how it looked there. It was the ring that Keith had used to propose to Karen. After staring at the ring on her figer for a minute, he took her hand again, settling in to wait.

A/N: Aren't you guys lucky, this is my second update of the day. I updated Can't Lose Hope as well. So what do you think? I know, Peyton's not awake yet. Also, I know Leyton is not engaged, but I do have an idea for that. So, yeah, you'll just have to stick around to see what it is. I think I'll let whatever's going to happen with Peyton happen in the next chapter. So you guys will have to wait until I get that up to find out. Is Peyton going to come back to Lucas, or is she going to be too afraid of living to go back? Hmm, the possibilities. I know, I'm evil. Leave lots of reviews, and maybe I'll update faster.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. I just wish I did. 


	26. Chapter 25

Even once Peyton had cried herself out, she didn't move. She hugged her knees to her chest, laying on her side in the midst of the flowers, trying to stop the pain that flooded over her. She didn't notice Keith standing right above her until he spoke. "What's it going to be, Peyton?" he asked, causing her to jump, because she hadn't realized he was there. She didn't make any other movements, though, she was wondering if she laid there long enough if the decision would be made for her.

Keith ran a hand through his hair because of her silence. He had gone to the hospital while she was crying, to see Lucas, and he wished Peyton would go back already. It killed him-figuratively, of course, since he was already dead-how much Lucas was hurting over this. And Peyton was being selfish enough to consider not going back. "Damnit, Peyton, how could you even think of not living? You have a whole life ahead of you. A whole life with Lucas, and your friends, and family. Have you even stopped to consider them while you've been doing your moping?" he yelled.

Peyton sat up then, turning to Keith, staring at him. There were still tear trails on her face, with mascara and eye liner streaked through them. "Yeah, Keith, I have. Who's to say that their lives wouldn't be better if I were gone? Maybe they would have been better off if I hadn't even been born. Lucas would probably be happy, with Lindsey, and Brooke wouldn't have had to hurt me to get Jake. My mom would still be alive, because she wouldn't have been rushing to pick me up, which means that Grace would have had more happy years with her daughter. My father wouldn't have had to work so much, because he couldn't stand the fact that I reminded him of his dead wife. So maybe I should just stay gone," she yelled right back.

Keith began to get frustrated with her. When he had chosen to help Peyton through this, he hadn't imagined that she would be this thickheaded. How the hell was he supposed to get through to her. He was about to give up, but he got an idea. "You want to know what it would have been like if you weren't around, Peyton? You really want to know? Let's go find out," he grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her to her feet before the scene changed around them.

Peyton found herself standing at Tree Hill High School. She was in the middle of the courtyard, with Keith standing next to her. She immediately noticed Lucas, but then she saw his hand linked with Lindseys. She had to swallow back her tears. He really would have been better off without her. As she watched, she noticed Nathan as well, but Haley was not with him. Instead, some big-busted blonde was hanging off of his arm, while he walked towards Lucas. She expected them to greet each other warmly, but, boy, was she wrong.

Nathan's shoulder slammed into Lucas's as they passed each other, and Lucas didn't even say anything before he pulled back his fist, slamming it into Nathan's face, causing a fist fight to break out. Lindsey and the blonde bimbo were both yelling at their guys to stop it, but neither of them did anything, nor did the crowd that gathered. The principal and a couple of teachers had to break it up. Principal Turner began asking everyone who started the fight. Half the people blamed Lucas, and half blamed Nathan.

It was then that Peyton noticed Haley. She had been sitting on the sidelines, alone, doing some homework. She stepped forward, informing the principal that it was Nathan who had started the fight. As soon as Principal Turner found out it was Nathan, he let them all go, giving only a warning. Nathan shot Lucas a glare, not even sparing a glance at Haley, and then walked away with his bimbo. Lindsey started trying to tend to Lucas's now bloddy lip, but he just pushed her away, his tone indicating that things weren't as perfect as they seemed between him and Lindsey.

Lucas walked away from his girlfriend, walking toward Haley, who was packing up her stuff, getting ready to leave. He started to thank her, but she immediately cut him off, shaking her head. "Don't even bother, Lucas. I told Turner that because I hate Nathan, and he should get in trouble, even if he didn't. I didn't tell Turner that because I want some pity from you, or whatever this is. You stopped being my friend a long time ago, and just because you're having issues with your perfect little Stepford girlfriend, doesn't mean I'll forgive you for everything you've done. Just go back to leaving me alone," she angrily told him, before leaving.

Peyton watched everything, confused. The scene changed again, and they were back in the meadow. Peyton looked skeptical. "You expect me to believe that would have been what happened if I hadn't been born? Lucas would have ditched Haley, and she wouldn't have ended up with Nathan, who happens to hate Lucas? Why would that happen?" she asked.

Keith was watching her contemplate. He knew that had changed something. "That's exactly how it would have been. Lucas wouldn't have had you, so he wouldn't have had your influence on his young life. He wouldn't have been compassionate enough to befriend Nathan, which means Nathan wouldn't have met Haley, and stopped being a jackass himself. Lucas pushed Haley away when he got together with Lindsey, and even that doesn't work for him, because Lindsey isn't his soul mate," he explained what they had just seen before the scene around them changed again.

Peyton found herself in the Tree Hill cemetary. She spotted her mother's familiar grave. She wondered how her mom died, if she hadn't been rushing to pick Peyton up, but then she looks at the grave stones next to her moms, two gravestones she's never seen before. One for Larry and one for Grace. She backed away, horrified, as she noticed the dates. Grace's was a few years ago. Larry's was the same day as her mothers.

Keith watched as she took this in. After a few minutes, he begins to explain. "Life without you. It'd be better, right? Wrong. Your mom wouldn't have been rushing to pick you up, that's true, but your father would have been with her in the car, and they both died. It was in your mothers fate, Peyton, to die, but because of you, your father was working that day, which allowed him to not be in the car. After losing not only her husband, but her daughter and son-in-law as well, Grace didn't take care of herself as well as she would have if she still had her granddaughter to live for. Not to mention, she doesn't have Lucas around to help her, becuase he's a jackass without you. She fell from a 12 foot ladder, trying to clean out her gutters, and she just couldn't make it."

Peyton took a deep, shaky breath, but she couldn't think of anything to say this time. Keith smiled wryly, then the scene changed again. This time, Peyton saw that they were at a party. She was wondering why they would be here, but then she spotted Brooke. Brooke had her gaze fixed on a couple on the other side of the room, and the look on her face was bitter. Eventually, she seemed to get enough of staring, and she turned to the bar, and the bartender. She drank drink after drink, downing the alcohol like it was water. Then she turned to the nearest guy, who was also sitting at the bar, and she started making out with him, before taking him upstairs.

Brooke had been staring at Jake, who was with a black-haired girl with thick eye liner, whom Peyton recognized as Nicky. Nicky had been a senior when Peyton had been a sophomore, but she hadn't know Nicky, and she hadn't known that Jake had known her. Jake and Nicky's hands were linked, but they were interacting with other people, and if they hadn't been touching, Peyton would have assumed they that they weren't together. As she watched, Nicky downed another shot, but Jake didn't seem to like that. He said something to her, and she yelled back that he was trying to hold her back.

That seemed to infuriate Jake. As Nicky tried to down another shot, he knocked it out of her hand, having long dropped contact with her. "I'm holding you back? Nicky, we have a daughter, who's eight months old. Why'd you agree to marry me and have the baby if you didn't want to be 'held back'?" he shouted at her, not even waiting for her reply. "I'm going home to our daughter. You might want to think about whether or not you want to," their was venom in his voice and he took the simple gold band off the ring finger of his left hand, tossing it on the bar in front of her.

The scene dissolved, and Peyton and Keith were back in the meadow. She was completely speechless. How could everyone's life have turned out so horrible without her? How did Keith expect her to believe that their lives turned out good only because she was in them. She couldn't have had that much influence, could she? It was impossible. She looked over at him, her face blank.

Even without expression on her face, he seemed to be able to tell what she was thinking. "You were never with Jake, but that didn't mean that Brooke had the courage to tell him how she felt. He got with Nicky before she could realize her true feelings, and then Nicky got pregnant. Jake asked her to marry him, out of obligation, but neither of them love the other. The only reason he stays with her is because of their daughter, but he still contemplates leaving her, and taking the baby she obviously doesn't want. Brooke sleeps with random guys, and parties, because she's so bitter about Jake, and she doesn't have a best friend like you to talk to," he paused.

Peyton had a question on her mind, but Keith began to answer before she could even ask it. "Ah, yes, Rachel. You helped steer her life in the right direction, while you were friends with her. Without you, she went down the wrong path, choosing drugs because her parents were also never around. She's in and out of rehab, but she doesn't admit she has a problem, so she can't really get help. She'll overdose in less than a year," he said.

Peyton put her head in her hands. So, maybe it was good that she had been born. She sifted through all she had learned, looking for a loophole. She looked up at Keith, triumphantly as she thought of one. "Well, that's what would have happened if I were never born. What about if I died now? Brooke would still be with Jake. Haley and Nathan would be together. My dad would be alive," she paused as she thought of Lucas. She didn't know what to say about that.

Keith sensed her hesitation. He knew what to show her next. The scene changed around them again. Peyton looked around, noticing that they were once again at the cemetery in Tree Hill. She noticed an old man, standing in front of a grave, laying flowers down. His mouth seemed to be moving, but Peyton couldn't hear what he was saying. Curious, she stepped closer, but as she did so, the old man began to grow younger, until he was Lucas Scott. She was now close enough to read the tombstone, and saw that it read: Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, Daughter, girlfriend, best friend. She was many things to many people, and she'll be greatly missed.

The words shocked her, greatly. She was watching Lucas, crying at her grave, and she had forgotten Keith completely. "Lucas never got over you. He was never able to love anyone else. He spends his whole life, thinking only of you. He stopped going to school, so he didn't graduate. He couldn't fufill any of his dreams, because it didn't feel right without you. He worked as a supermarket clerk for the rest of his life, while everyone he once knew leaves him behind, chasing their dreams while he's stuck in the past. He visits your grave every day until the day he dies," Keith's voice shocks her out of her stupor.

This, she can't handle. Everything else, yes, but this, Lucas wasting his life away. She couldn't handle that. She shook her head, disbelief coloring her expression. "No, no, no," she murmured, horrified. The scene changed again, and there was a hospital bed, with Peyton on it, beaten and bruised. Lucas was sitting in a chair next to her. She heard as he spoke to her, telling her all the reasons she had to come back to him. Peyton reached out, to touch Lucas, but suddenly she was back in the meadow once more.

She turned to Keith. She couldn't speak. Could she really go back and face all that pain, and the pain that would probably come as her life went on. The answer was yes. She could. She would have to. She wouldn't let Lucas waste his life, pining for her. A world where Lucas Scott wasn't passionate about something should not be even comprehensible. If only she could find her voice to tell Keith that.

Keith watched her, knowing what was coming, but he had some more things to say to her first. "He needs you, Peyton. You get so caught up in thinking of you, and your pain, that you don't think of Lucas, and his pain. It hurts him, to see you wasting away before his very eyes, and to not know whether you'll let him back in. All he wants is a future with you, and he can't tell if you want that when all you focus on is your pain. You have to live, and you have to embrace life. It's what Grace would have wanted," he told her.

Peyton absorbed this. She realized how neglectful she had been. She knew Lucas was hurting too. He had also been close to Grace. Not to mention she knew he still missed Keith like crazy, and he also wondered who had taken his uncle from him. Her head snapped up as she thought of this. She could find out the truth, right now. She had to, she knew he was going to send her back soon. "Keith, who did it? Who killed you?" she asked, desperate for the answer. He couldn't answer, and she sensed that. "It wasn't Jimmy, was it?" she asked instead.

Keith just shook his head. He knew she wouldn't remember this when she woke, so he showed her one last scene. All of a sudden, they were standing in a hallway at Tree Hill High School. She saw Keith, and she saw Jimmy with the gun. When the gun went off, though, Keith wasn't killed. It was Jimmy who was sprawled across the floor. She saw Keith rush to Jimmy's side, but he was gone. Then a new person entered the scene. She saw Keith's killer, but only for a brief second. Then she collapsed, the blackness overwhelming her.

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The door bangs open and Lucas jerks into a seated position. He can feel the kink in his neck, and he drops the hand that was in his before so he can rub it, as he tries to gain his bearings. He had the most horrible nightmare, where Peyton got into a car accident and wouldn't wake up. As he looks around the room, reality comes crashing down on him, and he realizes it wasn't a dream. He had just fallen asleep, holding her hand and sitting next to her hospital bed, waiting for her to come back to him.

All of a sudden, someone's standing on the other side of the bed, and he realizes that's what woke him up. Larry Sawyer was now on the opposite side of Peyton's bed. His eyes began to water as he saw how broken his daughter looked, but he blinked away the tears, looking up at Lucas. "What happened?" he demanded. Obviously he hadn't waited for any explanations in his rush to see his daughter.

Lucas gulped under the intensity of Larry's glare, and he picked up Peyton's hand again, quickly hiding the ring he had slid onto it. "Well, sir," he kept his eyes on Peyton's face, but that wasn't doing much to ease his fears. He decided to meet Larry's glare straight on. "She was in her Comet, with Brooke driving, and they got into an accident. She has some broken ribs, her leg is broken in three places. Her lung collapsed, and they had to do surgery. She's battered and bruised, and she might have a concussion. Right now she's in a coma, and it's up to her if she comes back to us," he absently began stroking her hand with his thumb as he spoke, and his love for Peyton was evident in his eyes, and the tone of his voice.

Larry stared him down for another second before nodding, grabbing the other chair that was in the room, and sitting on Peyton's right side, also ready to sit there for as long as it took for Peyton to come back. Lucas decided he would give Larry alone time with his daughter before they both settled in, and he stood, tucking Peyton's left hand under the blanket. He wasn't quite ready to explain that yet. He excused himself from the room, and then went to the waiting room.

Haley, Nathan and Brooke all stood when they saw him coming. Jake and Rachel had also arrived while he had been in Peyton's room, and they approached him as well. He cleared his throat as he reached them. "Listen, it could be a while until she wakes up. I insist you all go home and sleep, at least for a little while," he added as Brooke and Rachel began to protest. "Besides, the doctor doesn't want too many people seeing her right now. I promise, as soon as she wakes up, I'll give you a call," he said in a firm tone that left no room for arguement.

They all hesitated for a moment, gauging his expression, before they began to disperse. Jake shook his hand, expressing how sorry he was, and Brooke gave him another teary hug. Rachel hugged him, telling him to let Peyton know she was thinking of her. He nodded and told her she could stay at Grace's house, with Brooke and Jake. She nodded, then went to catch a cab with the previously mentioned couple. Nathan gave his brother a manly hug, and then, finally, Haley pulled him into a tearful embrace. "She'll be alright, Luke. She has to be," Haley murmured.

Lucas nodded, but was unable to speak, because he didn't want to start crying. He promised again that he would call Haley the minute Peyton woke up, told Nathan to take care of Haley, and then watched as they left the hospital. As he walked slowly back to Peyton's room, he realized she was in the same room she had been in last time. He wondered if Larry was done, but decided he didn't care. He didn't want to be away from Peyton's side any longer.

He entered the room, walking to Peyton's bedside. He took her hand again, but this time, Larry noticed the ring. "What is that?" he yelled, his wide eyes on the ring. He couldn't believe his baby had gotten engaged without telling him. He thought briefly about killing the boy across from him, but he knew how much Peyton needed Lucas, so, he decided to listen to Lucas's explanation.

Lucas gulped, glancing down at the ring as well. He took a deep breath as he tried to think of the right explanation, but he decided the truth might be the best. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "They wouldn't tell me what was going on with her. So, I kind of told the doctor Peyton and I were engaged," he admitted. He only briefly paused to take in the look on Larry's face before continuing. "I love your daughter, sir, and even though we aren't really engaged, I do want to marry her, someday. I hope when that day comes, you'll be able to give us your blessing," he boldly stated.

Larry held Lucas's gaze for a long moment. Then he decided it wasn't worth the fight. He could really tell how much Lucas loved his daugther, due to the speech he had just given, and the fact that he was still sitting by her side. He had also been able to tell, back before Grace had died, how much Peyton loved him. To be honest, he was glad Peyton had found someone who cared so much about her. He let the subject drop, and that was that. They silently waited at her side for her to wake up.

Three days later, they were still waiting. Lucas had never left her side, and, to be honest, he was beginning to smell. Larry had tried to convince him to go shower, or maybe sleep in his own bed, but he had given up as soon as Lucas pointed out that he hadn't moved either. The others had come and gone, but the doctor didn't allow them to stay long. He didn't want the room crowded, and neither Lucas nor Larry were budging to let someone else stay longer. Rachel, Brooke and Jake all stayed, even though they were supposed to be in school. They weren't leaving until Peyton woke up, no matter how many days they had to miss.

Larry was dozing in a chair, but Lucas was wide awake at the moment, and no one else was in the room. He was just watching Peyton's face, waiting for any flicker that would indicate she was waking up. He had a strong feeling that he was coming back to him, and soon. His hands were wrapped around hers, as he watched her closed eyes, murmuring soft words, encourging her to wake up.

Suddenly, Lucas felt it. There was a twitch of a movement in her finger. He opened his hands so he could see hers, and he saw that pointer finger twitch again. He stared at it, surprised and estatic, for a long moment, before his eyes flickered back to her face. And there they were. Those green eyes that he could never forget. The eye contact lasted only a moment before her eyes snapped shut again, but he had seen the green. She was waking up. "Luke," she moaned his name, and he had never been more happy to hear her voice. Her eyes opened again, and her fingers twitched in his hand.

Her voice had been very hoarse, so he dropped her hand, grabbing the cup of water as he waited for her eyes to open again. They did, and he made sure she knew what he was doing before he gave her a drink of water. She reached her hand up, to take his, opening her mouth to speak, but she saw the ring on her finger. She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "When did we get engaged?"

A/N: So, yeah, you guys were right. I couldn't let Peyton die. I really do love her character too much to let her die. Not to mention that Lucas loves her too much for her to die. So, she lives! I bet your happy. I bet all of you would love to tell me exactly how happy you are in a review(hint hint). Well, I'm too tired to keep going with this A/N, so I hope you like the chapter. You guys are lucky, this is my second update of the day, and I stayed up way too late, but I couldn't not finish it. Anyway, review please and thank you.

Disclaimer: Don't own it. 


	27. Chapter 26

A/N: I just wanted to make it clear, that this right after the accident, when Larry arrives, Lucas tells everyone to leave the hospital. I realized I skipped those three days to make Peyton wake up, but I didn't really go over how her being in the coma effected everyone. So, I'm going back. Peyton still wakes up, in three days, but I'm just going over those three days, or at least that first day, a little better. I'll shut up now before I confuse you any more. Let me know if you have any questions.

Rachel caught up to Brooke and Jake just as they were getting in the cab. She slid into the backseat with them, since they were all going to the same place. Brooke had cleaned up herself up a little bit, but she still looked like she had been crying for hours. Rachel was still crying to control her tears, only because she had just started crying. When Haley had called her and told her to get on a plane, that had been exactly what she did, but Haley hadn't explained exactly what had happened to Peyton, so she had only heard the news when she arrived at the hospital.

Brooke had stopped crying, but she was still upset about it, that much was evident. Jake had put his arm around her, but she didn't lean into him, as she usually would. She kept her distance, because she was still blaming herself for the accident, and she didn't feel she deserved the comfort. Rachel, because she had never liked Brooke, also blamed her, so the ride to Grace's house, where the three of them were staying, was silent.

When they arrived, Rachel showed them to one guest room, while taking another for herself. Grace's house was six bedroom, but one of those was converted to an office, that had, at one time, been used by Peyton's grandfather. Another room was used by Grace as a kind of storage room. Grace had lived in the master bedroom and Peyton, of course, had her own room. So that left two guest rooms, which were now being occupied.

As soon as Rachel had left Jake and Brooke in their guest room, she had retreated to her own, locking herself inside and curling up in a ball, worrying for her best friend. She had stopped crying, but she needed time to think, and sleep. She knew how Peyton had been since Grace had died, and the last time she had been to Tree Hill, she had fought with Peyton. They hadn't talked at all since, and Rachel felt horrible because the last time she had seen her best friend she had said some pretty cruel things, and her pride hadn't let her take them back. As she laid on the bed in the guest room of Grace's house, she let that last fight she had with Peyton, that last time she had been in the house, play in her mind.

FLASHBACK

Rachel came to Tree Hill one weekend, not only because Lucas had told Rachel how bad Peyton was doing, but because Rachel was seriously worried about her best friend. She arrived Saturday morning, and had gone straight to Grace's house. She found Peyton laying flat on her back on her bed, in her room, but, despite the somewhat early hour, Peyton had been awake.

Rachel entered the room cautiously, and, upon seeing that Peyton was awake, took a seat at the end of Peyton's bed. Peyton didn't say anything, or do anything to acknowledge the fact that she knew Rachel was there. Rachel took advantage of the situation to look Peyton over. Peyton looked bad. She had lost weight, and their were dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. It looked-and smelled-like she hadn't showered in days.

Rachel sat at the end of Peytons bed for a long while, but Peyton didn't even glance in her direction, not once. "What happened to you?" she finally murmured, under her breath. Peyton heard the words, but she didn't reply. "Come on, Peyton, you can't be like this. Grace wouldn't have wanted this," she raised her voice to its normal level, throwing in Grace's name because she was sure that it would get a reaction from Peyton.

She had been right. Peyton looked at Rachel, anger burning in her eyes. She sat up slowly, trying not to let her anger get the better of her, but she knew that anger was better than any of the other things she was feeling. "I can be however the hell I want to be. Don't tell me what my grandmother wants. Just leave, Rachel, everyone else does," the fire burned out in her green eyes, and they went back to looking dead. To be honest, Rachel prefered the anger, but Peyton thought it was easier to feel nothing.

Rachel sighed, but didn't move, although Peyton's comment did bother her. She chose not to get angry quite yet. "What do you mean, everyone leaves? You still have Lucas, and you still have me, and when your dad's not working, you have him too," she paused, before hesitantly adding, "You also seem to have Brooke and Jake. They keep coming up to me at school, asking if there's been any change in you, and Brooke calls Lucas regularly too. So don't tell me everyone leaves, Peyton, because you push people away when things get tough, and you retreat behind your walls, so the ones still around can't reach you," she said heatedly.

Peyton, the dead look in her eyes still, slowly laid back on the bed, folding her arms over her chest as if she was holding herself together. "Maybe I'm just waiting for you to leave. I know it's going to happen. What's the point in getting attached if everyone I love leaves or dies anyway. My dad always leaves, even if he does come back. Jake left me, to be with the one I thought was my best friend, and, even if it got me Lucas, it still hurt. I'm not just going to pretend everythings okay. Things aren't okay, not anymore. I don't think they ever will be again," her voice was apathetic, completely devoid of emotion.

Rachel got frustrated with Peyton's lack of emotion. She missed the person Peyton had been, when she was sarcastic and sometimes bitchy, but she still knew how to laugh, and be happy. "No, Peyton, I haven't left, and Lucas hasn't left, even though it's killing both of us to see you like this. You're the one who's left. You took the person you used to be and hid her away, leaving nothing but this shell of who you used to be in her place," she stood, letting her frustration get the better of her. "I am going to leave, though, now. Congratulations, Peyton. Your plan worked. You've pushed me away," she sarcastically clapped her hands together as if she were happy about this revalation.

Rachel turned away, about to leave, but paused at Peyton's doorway. She had finally gotten a reaction from Peyton, but didn't see the hurt that flashed in Peyton's eyes, because her back was turned. Peyton closed her eyes quickly as the hurt welled up inside her, making sure it was firmly hid away before she opened her eyes again, just as Rachel reached the door.

Rachel took a deep breath, trying not to let her anger seep into her tone. "When my best friend is back, give me a call. Until then, I don't even know who you are," she said. Then she left, not even looking back as walked out of Peyton's life. She couldn't look back, because she knew if she did, she wouldn't leave, and her anger kept her going, right out the front door, and into her car. She drove to her cabin, deciding to stay there until her flight.

END FLASHBACK

While Rachel was in one guest room, feeling bad about how she had left things with Peyton, Brooke and Jake were in the other. Jake had sprawled out on the bed, and he was watching Brooke as she paced the room. He could tell Brooke was feeling guilty, but he could also tell she didn't want to be comforted. He sat up, grabbing at her arm when she passed him again.

Brooke wanted to pull away when she felt his hand on her wrist, but he was stronger than her. He pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her, and she stopped fighting to get away. She didn't have the strength to resist anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest. Suddenly, she was crying again. "It's all my fault. If she doesn't make it, I'm to blame," she said into his shoulder.

Jake just held her, rubbing her back as she sobbed into his chest. He waited until her crying had subsided a bit before speaking. "It's not your fault, Brooke. It was just a horrible accident. She'll live, and you'll be able to make things right with her. It wasn't your fault," he repeated, then he just continued to hold her, for as long as she cried, because he knew that was what she needed, more than anything else. He also knew that she wouldn't be completely okay until Peyton woke up.

When Brooke fell still in Jake's arms, he knew she had fallen asleep. He held her just a little bit longer, though, making sure she was sleeping soundle before he decided to move her. He twisted, setting Brooke on the bed next to him, and then moving her legs over also before he laid down next to her. As soon as he was laying next to her, she scooted closer, as if she had sensed his presence, although she was still asleep. He let her lay on his chest as he drifted off to sleep with her.

When Brooke, Jake and Rachel had all gone to Grace's house, Nathan and Haley returned to their apartment. They immediately went back to the bedroom, tired and weary from all the hours in the hospital, and they had quietly laid together until they had fallen asleep. Sleep didn't hold Haley long, though, and soon after that she was up again, sitting on one of the stools, at the island in their kitchen, a pint of ice cream in front of her and a spoon in her hand.

She felt bad, because she hadn't been able to get through to Peyton. It was all Lucas had talked about to her for the past two months, and she had told him time and time again that Peyton had just needed time. She wondered if things would have been different if she had pushed Peyton into talking, like Lucas had asked her to. Maybe Peyton hadn't needed time, and she would have snapped out of her funk a long time ago if only Lucas had pushed her.

Of course, she knew it wasn't really her fault, but she still felt bad, because her best friend was hurting. Actually, both of her best friends were hurting. Lucas was hurting mentally, and emotionally, and Peyton was hurting both mentally and emotionally as well, but she was also hurting physically, and there was nothing she could do, for either of them. She knew that they both could talk to her, and she was sure they knew that. Well, Peyton could talk to her, if she woke up.

At that last thought, the tears started falling again. She dipped her spoon into the ice cream, pulling it out again and putting the bite in her mouth as she tried to stop the tears. She couldn't allow herself to even consider the fact that Peyton might not wake up. For Lucas's sake as well as her own. Peyton just had to wake up, or she would leave so many lives broken. Especially since this town had already lost Grace. No one would be able to handle another death, especially not Lucas.

She was also feeling sorry for Brooke. She didn't know her that well, but she had known that Peyton had been really close to her at one time, and they were beginning to get close again, at least, they had been, until Grace's death. Peyton, of course, had pulled away from everyone then. Still, she was feeling sorry for Brooke, not because she might lose a friend, but because Brooke had been in the car, driving. She knew Brooke must be feeling hideously guilty. She couldn't even imagine being in that situation, and she didn't want to.

Haley had been so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Nathan's approach, until she felt his arms wrapping around her from behind, his lips working on her neck at the same time. She moaned lightly, twisting around in his arms so she was facing him, then wrapping her arms around his neck, as he moved his lips to hers. When they came up for air, Haley smiled, blushing slightly. "Sit down," she gestured to the stool next to her, waiting until he followed her orders until she handed him the spoon that had been on the countertop next to the pint of ice cream.

He looked down at the spoon, then back up at her, one eyebrow raised. She picked up the ice cream container and her own spoon, scooping out another bite before putting it in her mouth, gesturing that he should do the same. He did, somewhat reluctantly. "You know I'm not exactly a girl, Haley. Guys don't really sit around, gorging on ice cream when they have problems," he said, somewhat amused as he took the ice cream container out of her hand, setting it back on the counter before taking her free hand in his.

Haley took a deep breath, choosing to look down at the ice cream instead of him as she thought of her answer. After a silent moment, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I know that, because, if you were a girl, I wouldn't be able to do this," she said, looking up briefly to touch her lips to his before she looked down again. "It's just, Peyton and I always used to do this together, so I guess I was kind of reminiscing," she finished softly.

Nathan didn't know what to say. All he knew was that he wanted to comfort his wife, take her pain away. He set down his spoon before taking hers out of her hand and setting it down as well. Then he dropped her hand, choosing instead to pull her into his arms, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "I love you, Haley James-Scott, you know that?" he asked rhetorically, not even waiting for an answer. "Everything will be okay. You'll see. She'll wake up, and eventually she'll come back to life, and you'll be able to eat ice cream with her again," he kissed her temple.

Haley leaned further into him and he wrapped his arms even tighter around her, preferring to hold her as opposed to eat ice cream with her. He knew she was worried for her best friends, but there was nothing she could do. He knew that was part of the problem. Haley was one to take action when her friends were hurting, and it killed her that there was nothing she could do. He kissed her temple again before pulling away, taking her hand once again. "Let's just go to bed for now, because that's all we can do," he said.

Haley paused for a moment, then nodded, looking up into his eyes. She smiled softly at him. "I love you too, Nathan Scott. You always know the right things to say," she said, leaning up to give him one last kiss before standing. She put the ice cream away and then put the spoons in the sink before they went back into their bedroom together. She felt a little better after her talk with Nathan, and this time she managed to stay asleep.

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It was late during the night of the third day, and still, Lucas and Larry were the only ones allowed to stay past visiting hours, which meant that Brooke, Jake and Rachel were all cooped up in Grace's house. Rachel did her best to avoid Brooke altogether, because she was still mad at Brooke for being the one driving the car when Peyton was hurt, and she was mad at herself for not fixing things with her best friend, and she was afraid she wouldn't get that chance.

The house phone rang, startling all three of them, because anyone who had tried to get in touch with them had called them on one of their cell phones. The doors to both the guest rooms opened at the same time, and Rachel left hers, and Brooke led Jake our of theirs as all three of them looked for the phone. Rachel was the one who finally located it, so she picked it up, and Brooke and Jake approached her as she talked.

Rachel's face broke into a wide, relieved grin as she hung up the phone. She turned to Brooke, almost wanting to hug her in her relief, but managing to resist the urge. "Peyton's awake," she said, and she saw the relief flood through both Brooke and Jake, but more so Brooke, of course. Her expression fell slightly as she remembered the rest of the conversation, though. Brooke was already on her way toward the door, but Rachel called out for her to stop. "We can't go see her, because it's after hours. We have to wait until morning," she added.

Brooke's shoulders slumped again, but they lifted back up, though not to where they had been when she had realized that Peyton was awake. She wished she could go see her, but she knew the important fact was that she was awake. It didn't matter that she couldn't see her until the morning because they knew now that she was going to be okay. With a sigh, she took Jake's hand, squeezing it and receiving a squeeze in return. They went to their separate rooms, but neither Brooke nor Rachel fell right to sleep. They both stayed up late thinking of Peyton.

At Haley and Nathan's apartment, they were also relieved to hear the news about Peyton. She managed to go to sleep, with some coercing from Nathan, but she woke up long before him, and she began cooking, because that was what she had decided she could do to help. She couldn't be much help, but she could cook, and she knew Lucas, as well as Peyton, would prefer her cooking to the hospitals cooking.

Nathan woke up when she was almost finished, and when he entered the kitchen and noticed all the food she had made, he wondered just who she planned on feeding, and how long she'd been up. She smiled at her husband when she noticed him, giving him a swift kiss on the cheek before returning to bustling around the kitchen. She noticed his curious look, and shrugged. "I just felt like I had to do something. So I made breakfast for everyone," she said, and then she began packing it all up, making sure it was ready to go before she went to get herself ready.

By the time she and Nathan had gotten ready, it was just about time for visiting hours to start. So they piled the food into the back of their car, heading for the hospital. They arrived at the same time Brooke's car pulled up, letting Brooke, Jake and Rachel out. Rachel had woken up first and gotten straight in the shower, but by the time she was out, Brooke was up, and she showered right after her. Jake had showered the night before, so he was ready by the time the girls finsihed getting ready, and they had all gotten into the car, anxious about seeing Peyton.

Brooke went to the front desk and asked which room Peyton was in, then they all walked to her room, the three girls making Nathan and Jake carry the food Haley had made. When they reached the room, Rachel pushed herself to the front, opening the door so she could be the first into the room. She couldn't go any longer without seeing Peyton. She had to apologize for the way they had left things. So, Rachel led the way into the room, but the others were close behind her, Brooke right on her heels. Brooke felt she had the right to see Peyton first.

Peyton was sitting up in bed when they all came in, and they all stopped, shocked to see her that way. It was not the bruises and scrapes and bandages that stopped them, although, that was more than enough reason. It was the look on her face. She had her left hand linked with Lucas's and she was sitting there, talking with her dad and Lucas, looking not exactly as she had been before Grace died, but a lot happier than she had been in the past two and a half months.

Lucas stared at everyone, who had paused in the doorway. He knew what had caused their hesitation, of course, but he cleared his throat, trying to get them to start moving. He looked back to Peyton, who was also watching their friends. She smiled and though she was battered and bruised, he still saw the same beauty he had always seen. The spark of life was back in those green eyes, and that made him happier than even the fact that she had woken up. She had really come back to him, not just in the physical sense, but the mental sense as well.

Brooke had tears in her eyes at the sight of Peyton. She stepped forward, pushing past Rachel, ignoring everybody else in the room except Peyton. She wrapped Peyton in a hug, holding her tightly as the tears leaked from her eyes. Peyton hugged her back. "It's okay," she said, her eyes closed against the pain. Brooke was really hurting her broken ribs, but she knew that Brooke needed the comfort. "I'm alright Brooke, everything's fine," she murmured.

Lucas could see that Brooke was really hurting Peyton, but he could also tell that Peyton wasn't going to say anything about it. "Hey, um, Brooke, in case you forgot, she does have broken ribs," he reminded the brunette who was hurting Peyton. Brooke immediately backed off, mumbling a sorry, and Peyton sent Lucas a thankful smile, which he returned.

Rachel stepped forward next, hugging Peyton more softly than Brooke had, which Peyton was thankful for. Rachel pulled back, opening her mouth to speak, but Peyton wouldn't let her apologize either. "Listen, you guys, while I was unconscious, I did a lot of thinking. I've decided that I can't live in the past anymore. The future is what matters, and I'm going to make the best of mine. I'm here for a reason. What got me here doesn't matter, it's how I choose to live with the way life treats me. I'm leaving the past where it belongs and I expect you guys to do the same," she said, taking Lucas's hand and squeezing it tightly, looking down at the engagement ring.

She still hadn't gotten to talk to Lucas about it yet, because her dad had woken up at the sound of her voice last night, and after that it was a flurry of doctors before Peyton had fallen back to sleep. Then, when she had woken up this morning, her dad had been in the room the whole time, so she hadn't really had a moment alone with Lucas yet. She really did want to speak to Lucas privately, but she was sure they'd get a moment alone sometime, and she didn't want to push everyone else away.

Haley came forward after her little speech to give her a hug, and Nathan and Jake had both sat down the food they had been carrying to tell her that they were glad she was back. Peyton had definately noticed as they had sat down their bundles and she immediately asked what they had been carrying. When Haley had mentioned the food she had made, Peyton's stomach rumbled, causing them all to laugh before they settled in to breakfast.

A/N: Okay, so, here's another chapter. Tell me what you think. Next chapter should include the Leyton conversation about the ring. Also, I think there's only a couple more chapters left, and then an epilogue. I think I'll mention something about Keith's killer, but it won't be a really big thing, in the long run. I mean, finding out who he is won't be a really big thing. So, review, please, I love every review I get, and I am really grateful to those of you who review.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill. 


	28. Chapter 27

A week later, Peyton was finally being released from the hospital. She had a cast on her leg, but most of the scratches and bruises were healing up nicely. The bandage wrapped around her torso to hold her broken ribs in place was barely visible beneath her clothes, which were baggy because of the weight she had lost. She hadn't gotten a moment alone with anyone because no one wanted to leave her presence. Larry had forced Lucas out of the room every night when the visiting hours ended, so she hadn't even gotten a moment alone with Lucas.

Needless to say, she was definately ready to get out of the hospital. Brooke, Jake and Rachel had all had two weeks worth of their work sent to them so they could stay, although Peyton suspected Jake only stayed because of Brooke. The three of them were going back in a few days. Larry was staying in Tree Hill until she was fully healed, despite Peyton's protests. She knew he needed the money. He said he'd be tried to believe him.

She was currently sitting up in the hospital bed wearing a pair of sweats because it was the only thing that would fit over her cast, and a tee shirt. Her broken leg was laying straight on the bed, but her other leg was dangling off the side, the toe of her Converse shoe skimming the floor as she slowly swung her leg back and forth. She had her sketchbook in front of her, and a pencil in her hand, but she was too anxious to draw. Her dad was finally out somewhere, allowing Lucas to get her home, so Lucas was talking to the doctor, who was getting her release forms together so she could sign them.

The door swung open and as she saw Lucas walk into the room, the doctor behind him, her face broke into a grin, her green eyes lighting up. She placed the sketch book and pencil in the bag next to her, which carried all the things her friends had brought for her to entertain herself at the hospital, and turned to the doctor, eagerly reaching for the clipboard and pen.

Lucas couldn't help the grin that had spread across his face because of her grin. He loved the way her eyes were lighting up again. The life was back in them and he never wanted to see the light leave those brilliant green eyes again. As she reached toward the doctor, the sunlight streaming through the window hit the ring on her finger. He reached up, rubbing the back of his neck. He still didn't know how he was going to explain that. He had almost avoided being alone with her, because he wasn't sure what he was going to say. Larry had been happy to keep Lucas from spending any time alone with his daughter, though.

After Peyton had signed her name, officially getting released, Lucas was pushing her down the hallway in a wheelchair, as was hospital policy. She would get to use crutches when she got home, but until she had reached the car, he had to take her in a wheelchair, while they were accompanied by a nurse, who was explaining what Peyton had to do to take care of herself, as if she hadn't heard it all already. She was so excited to be seeing the exit of the hospital, though, that she didn't interrupt.

Right as they were reaching the exit, Lucas stopped, putting the break on the wheelchair as he moved around and kneeled in front of Peyton. "I, um, sort of have a surprise for you," he said, giving the nurse an apologetic look for interrupting her, before looking up at Peyton with a hopeful look. He pulled a cloth out of his back pocket. "You need to wear this, though," he added, glancing up at the nurse, who nodded, somewhat hesitantly, but allowed him to blindfold her. Peyton protested, but didn't reach up to remove the blindfold.

Lucas unlocked the brakes and began pushing Peyton again, out of the hospital and to the car he had waiting. "I've been working on this every chance I got since you woke up. They said it would never drive again, but I know how much you love this car, and I just wouldn't accept that," he said, pausing as he stopped once more, putting the brakes on again before removing the blindfold.

It took Peyton a few seconds to realize what she was looking at. When she did, she looked up at Lucas, pure joy on her face. It was like receiving the car all over again, and it looked brand new. She didn't know how he had the time or the money, but that would be a conversation for later. She carefully lifted herself out of the wheelchair before vaulting herself into Lucas's open arms, nearly knocking both of them over, as she placed kisses on every part of him she could reach. He picked her up and spun her around, happy that he could make her this happy.

The nurse had been having a bad day, but at the sight of the young couple, so happy and so obviously in love, she couldn't help but feel her spirits being lifted. It was a nice reminider that love and happiness was still out there. With a smile, she subtly took the wheelchair and began to wheel it back into the hospital. They were fine on their own, obviously, and she got the impression they wanted the time alone anyway. She only hoped that they could hold on to the love they shared. Falling in love was the easy part. Staying in love was harder.

Neither of them noticed the departure of the nurse. They had pretty much forgotten about everyone and everything else. Peyton surprised Lucas by kissing him passionately. He carefully lowered her to the ground leaning against the car for support and holding tightly to Peyton's waist. "I take it you like this, then," he said, when he had regained his breath, an amused tone to his voice as he briefly removed a hand and patted the hood of her Comet.

Peyton beamed up at him. She hadn't gotten a chance to kiss him like that while she was in the hospital. Between her friends and her father and the nurses that always seemed to be checking on her. That was actually the first real kiss she'd given him in months. She felt strangely free now that she was out of the hospital. She was glad she got to be with Lucas, and extremely happy that she hadn't lost her Comet for good. So she had gotten a bit overzealous with the kiss. Not that Lucas minded. She was just a bit light-headed, so she had to take a moment.

Lucas tightened his grip on her as she leaned her head down on his chest. "Are you all right, Blondie?" he asked, concern etched in his voice and in his features as he bent down, trying to look at her face. "I mean, not that I'm complaining, but are you sure you should be doing that?" he asked, referring to the kiss that had blown both of their minds.

She nodded, pulling back slightly and looking into his eyes, the smile widening as her green eyes met his blue. "I probably shouldn't, but so what? I'm fine, just lost my breath for a moment there," she trailed off, looking at her beloved Comet. She pulled out of his arms, walking around it, inspecting it. She had to hold onto the car, because she was limping due to the cast, but she managed.

When she made it back to him she pulled him into another kiss, a little more calmly this time. She was still breathless when she pulled away, though she always had been. She wasn't sure that would ever go away, and she didn't want it to. "You are amazing, you know that? It actually drives?" she asked, running her hand alond the side of the car.

He kissed her forhead, a smile on his face. He was really glad now that he had put the time and effort into making the car work. Not that he would ever tell her exactly how much time and money went into it. The look on her face as she looked at her Comet was enough. Not to mention the fact that he actually had his girlfriend back. As long as he had her by his side, mentally, physically and emotionally, then he'd do anything for her. "Yes, it drives. You don't though, sorry," he said, opening the passenger door for her.

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully before letting him help her into the car. She was so glad to have her car back. Except for the broken leg and ribs and all the other healing scratches and faded bruises, it was almost as if the accident had never happened. She just wanted to go home, but she knew she needed to go somewhere first. When Lucas got behind the wheel, he pulled out of the parking lot and was about to turn toward Grace's house, but she put her hand on his, looking into his blue eyes. She asked him to go in the other direction, and he immediately knew where she wanted to go.

Once he had made the turn, he took one hand off the wheel so he could take hers, and he held her hand for the rest of the drive, squeezing it reassuringly every time she looked like she needed it. When he pulled to a stop, he looked over at her, carefully trying to take in her expression. "Are you sure?" he asked. He didn't want things to go back to the way they'd been, and this could just as easily hinder instead of help if she wasn't ready.

Peyton looked down at her hand in his, a perfect fit, once again noticing the ring on her finger. She nodded confidently. "Yeah, help me out and give me my crutches, I need to do this," she said, trying to sound sure of herself. She was really scared, but she knew she had to do this in order to move forward. She just wanted to move on with her life. Lucas came around and helped her out of the car, handing her the crutches, which she quickly moved under her arms. She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "You sit tight. I'll holler if I need you. When I get back we can have a talk about this," she waved the third finger of her left hand in front of his face before limping away on her crutches.

Peyton left Lucas by the car, and he watched her as she made walked away from him, with the aid of the crutches. He watched her walk to her mother's grave first, and he couldn't help but laugh at her as she tried lowering herself to the ground, finally landing on her back with a thump. He knew she was okay because he saw that she was laughing as well. He decided to head over to Keith's grave. He needed to tell his uncle how things had worked out, even though he had a feeling Keith already knew.

Peyton sat up when she was able to catch her breath. Between the laughter and the fact that hitting the ground had knocked the air out of her lungs, it took a surprisingly long time to compose herself. When she finally did, she glanced over at Lucas, and saw that he was sitting at Keith's grave. She'd have to tell him about what happened while she was unconscious. Now, though, she needed to talk to her mom.

With a sigh, Peyton looked down at her hands. "Sorry it's been so long," she started, feeling the tears well up in her eyes already. "I just, I guess I lost myself for a while. I know you're not the one I really should be talking to, though. It's just, I know it's going to be hard, but I have to. For her. She doesn't deserve the way I've been acting," she wiped at her tears. "I love you, Mom, and I know you needed your mother, but couldn't you have left her with me, for just a little bit longer? I needed her here, especially since I don't have you anymore. She was my last link to you, and now she's gone," she couldn't talk anymore. The tears became too much, and she was no longer able to speak.

Peyton wished she hadn't told Lucas she needed to do this on her own. She could really use his strong arms wrapped around her right now. Just then, as if summoned by her thoughts, Lucas was by her side, wrapping her up in his arms and pulling her onto his lap, rocking her gently. She clung to him for a few minutes, needing to let out some of the tears that had been building up for two and a half months. When she finished she pulled away slightly, looking down at her mom's gravestone. "I love you, Mom, and I'll be around more now, I promise, and it's because of this guy," she said, before pulling Lucas into a kiss that was wet from her tears.

When she broke away, she smiled up at him through her tears. "Now, take me over to my grandmothers grave, and this one I really do need to do on my own," she said, letting him pick her up and carry her to the next grave, setting her gently on the grass before moving her crutches over. He kissed the top of her head before heading back to Keith's grave, leaving Peyton alone with Grace.

Peyton heaved another sigh. This would be much harder. As if she hadn't cried enough already, her tears only increased as she tried to think of what to say. "I miss you, so, so much. How did you ever deal with losing not only Grandpa, but Mom as well? I'll never understand how you stayed so strong. I know, I know, the pain will lessen eventually, right? I hope that's right," she paused. "I just want you to know, that even though I'm really going to miss you, I'm not going to let it stop my life anymore. I'm still here for a reason, and if I didn't have Lucas, I'm sure I'd never be able to think of that reason, but I do have him. I love him so much, and I'm glad you asked me to come this summer, because if you didn't, I have no idea where I'd be right now, and I don't even want to imagine it," she shuddered.

A wind blew threw the trees, and she took that as her response, it was time to move on. She looked over at Lucas, somehow managing to pull herself to her feet without him noticing. "I love him so much, he has no idea. I seriously wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him," she paused for a moment. "Hey, um, tell Keith I said thanks, for showing me how much I need his nephew, and thanks, Grandma, for the same reason. I love you, and I miss you, but I'll be back, you can count on that," she finished, silent tears leaving trails down her cheeks as she quietly made her way over to Keith's grave.

Lucas must have been lost in thought, because he didn't even hear her coming. "Hey, um, Luke, I kind of have something to tell you," she said from behind him, startling him with the sound of her voice. He jumped to his feet, opening his mouth to speak, but she stopped him by continuing with her confession. "When I was unconscious, I kind of saw Keith," she said.

He froze, his mouth hanging open as he stared at her, trying to process what she said. "Okay, um, well, what happened?" he finally managed to organize his thoughts into a question. He was completely taken off-guard by her confession. He hadn't expected it at all, and it took a little getting used to. Part of him thought she was crazy, but another, larger part, thought it was possible.

She wasn't surprised by his reaction. She wasn't sure she believed it herself, except everything had felt so real. She shrugged, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "Well, he kind of showed me how stupid I've been acting lately. He also said something weird," she paused, wondering if she had gone too far. She could tell she had peaked Lucas's interest, though, and he'd keep bugging her, so she might as well just tell the whole truth now. "Well, he said something that lead me to believe that it wasn't Jimmy who killed him," she said hesitantly, her voice dropping to a whisper that he had to strain to hear.

If what she had said before had shocked him, that was nothing to the surprise he felt at this statement. She regretted telling him as he turned away, running his hand through his hair and looking down at Keith's grave. She used her crutches to bring herself a step closer to him. "Lucas, honey, are you all right?" she asked tentatively, not wanting to push, but not wanting him to shut her out either. "I'm sorry," she added.

Lucas turned to her, a confused look on his face. "Why are you sorry?" he asked, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her. "You have no reason to be sorry, Peyton. You're just telling me the truth. You never have to be sorry about that," he reassured her. After embracing her for a few moments, he pulled back, looking at her face. "Now, how are you so sure that this wasn't just a dream?" he asked.

Peyton took a deep breath, biting on her lip and fidgeting. It was just a feeling she had-it had all felt so real-she didn't really know how to explain it. She looked up into his crystal blue eyes and tried to find the right words. "Well, I mean, it felt real. I guess, it may have been a dream, but I've always believed that when people who are dead come to you in a dream, they're sending you a message, or something. You know, like, dreams are e-mail for ghosts," she tried to explain, and decided to just stop there. She realized she wasn't making much sense.

He laughed, kissing her forehead. She was cute when she started babbling. The initial shock of her confession had worn off, and he could see she needed to get off her leg. So he picked her up, managing to carry her all the way to the car, while holding her crutches as well. After he had gotten her seated in the car, he moved around to the drivers side, settling in behind the wheel because he knew there was another conversation they needed to have. Peyton nodded, also knowing the topic they needed to talk about. "So, why do I have this?" she asked, looking down at the ring on her left hand.

Lucas heaved a big sigh, still trying to think of the right way to explain. He decided to just go with the truth. "Well, when you were first admitted, before your dad arrived, they wouldn't tell me anything unless I was family. So I kind of said we were engaged, so they would tell me what was wrong with you. I know it was wrong, but it was the only way, and I had to know. I couldn't wait for your dad. It was so scary, Peyton, not knowing if you were dead or alive," his voice broke and he couldn't go on.

Peyton leaned over hugging him, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, not wanting to let go. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through that, Lucas. I don't even want to imagine what that situation would be like. Just so you know, you're never allowed to scare me like that, mister. So you have to be careful," she said, trying to make light out of the situation, but it didn't work that well.

Lucas kind of chuckled, but didn't let go. "It's not your fault, Peyton," he mumbled into her hair. "You're never allowed to scare me like that again, but it wasn't your fault," he said, rubbing his hand in circles across her back. Peyton nodded into his chest, but it was a half-hearted nod. She had distracted Brooke, trying to jump out of the moving car like that. It was partially her fault. Lucas pulled back to look at her face, knowing exactly what she was thinking. "Peyton, it's not your fault. It was an accident, a horrible accident, but just an accident nonetheless," he said firmly.

Peyton really wanted to believe him, so she let the issue drop. She still wasn't ready to move on from the subject of the ring yet. She looked down at it fondly, fiddling with it on her finger. Lucas noticed what she was doing. "Ah, well, since you're out of the hospital, I guess I can take that back," he said, feeling embarrassed; she hadn't asked, but she had to be wondering where the ring had come from.

That question had gone through her mind, but that wasn't what she was thinking about at that moment. Right then, the how or why didn't matter to her that much, it was the fact that the ring was on her finger, and she actually liked the look of it there. That was what she was thinking about. When he reached out to take it, she pulled her hand away. "Listen, Lucas, I know I said no to your proposal, and I am in no way ready to get married yet, but, I really do want to get married to you someday. So, how about this, instead of being engaged, can we be pre-engaged. We know marriage is coming one day, just not for a while," she said, looking up at him with her big green eyes.

Lucas tried to wrap his mind around what she was saying. "So, instead of an engagement ring, you want it to be a promise ring," he said, and she thought for a moment before nodding. That sounded about right. He thought for a few minutes. "Well, Peyton Sawyer, I like that idea. It's good to know that you're mine, and no one else's. I wouldn't have it any other way," he said, looking down at the ring that they just declared was a promise ring. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.

Peyton grinned from ear to ear. "Good, because I wouldn't have it any other way either. When you first asked, I got scared. I was scared of forever and scared of the future. Now I'm trying to embrace those things, and I wouldn't want to look to the future with anyone except you by my side. I love you, Lucas Eugene Scott," she declared, leaning closer to him.

Lucas smiled right back at her. He was so happy to hear her say those words. He had been so afraid that there wouldn't even be a future with her. "I had a lot of time to think while you were in the coma, Peyton, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You're the one I want by my side when my dreams come true, and you're the one I want next to me if they don't. I love you too, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer," he said, before closing the distance between their lips.

When Peyton tried to move in her seat, to get closer to Lucas, she felt a pain in her ribs as she moved the wrong way. She pulled away from him with a yelp, leaning back in her seat with a hand on her torso, above the broken rib. She had her eyes shut against the pain. Her medication was starting to wear off. Lucas realized he needed to get her home. He faced forward in his seat again and started the car, pulling away from the cemetary.

As the pain faded, Peyton pulled her seatbelt on, reminding Lucas to do the same. She still was having a hard time believing he had fixed up her Comet. She had been sure she would need to get a new car, and though she hadn't actually mentioned it aloud, that thought really hadn't appealed to her. She loved her Comet. It had many good memories attached to it. "Thanks again, for fixing up my Comet. You'll never know how much I appriciate it. I'll owe you forever for this," she said sincerely.

Lucas chuckled, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze. "It was not that big of a deal. I know what this car means to you, and that was enough motivation right there. Besides, you gave me something much better than a car," she sent him a curious look. "You came back to me," he explained. "I figured the least I could do was fix your car. Besides, I needed something to do while I was sent away from the hospital. I'm just glad I got it done in time. That's why it took me so long to pick you up this morning, I had to finish it," he informed her.

Peyton smiled at him, but didn't say anything. He could tell that she was in pain, so he made her take a pain killer. She was silent for the rest of the ride, as she waited for it to take effect. The medication made her drowsy, and she had gotten up early that morning, excited to finally get to go home. Not to mention car rides always put her to sleep when she wasn't driving. All those things combined made her fall asleep before they had reached her house. Lucas carried her into the house, pleased that she seemed to be sleeping again, then returned to get her crutches from the car.

As he set the crutches next to her bed, so she would have them when she woke up, Peyton woke up a little. She caught his hand, scooting over to the other side of the bed, lifting up the blankets for him. "Take a nap with me," she said drowsily, waiting for him to crawl into bed, curling into his chest and then falling right back to sleep again. Lucas didn't think he'd be able to sleep, but as he lay with her, just happy at the close proximity, he was able to drift into a sleep. It was the best sleep either of them had gotten in a long time.

A/N: I meant to have Peyton interact with other people in this chapter, but the Leyton interaction took longer than I thought. Though, I'm sure none of you mind the Leyton interaction. I'm not sure I did the cemetery scene right. I'm not exactly sure if that was how it should have gone. Let me know what you think, please, and I'll try to get another update as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: Doesn't everybody know by now? I don't own One Tree Hill, and I never will. I did spend all day watching season 4 on DVD, though. That's my favorite Leyton season, although I'm definately liking season 6. 


	29. Chapter 28

The Sunday morning sunlight poured through Peyton's window, hitting her in the face and causing her to wince as she opened her eyes. She closed them again, turning onto her side with her back towards the window, rolling right into another body. She wasn't used to sleeping in the same bed with someone, but she didn't mind, when she opened her eyes and saw that it was Lucas she was laying next to. Her father, of course, had had to go on a job, so he had left yesterday, and Karen had agreed to let Lucas stay at Peyton's, but she had made it clear that it wouldn't be happening all the time.

Rachel, Brooke and Jake were leaving later that day, so Peyton knew she had to get up soon. When she saw that Lucas was still asleep, though, she decided that staying in bed for just a while longer wouldn't matter that much. She knew the perfect way to wake him up, too. She propped herself up onto her elbow, being careful of her ribs, and leaned over, kissing his cheek, then his other cheek, his forehead, his nose, basically everywhere except his mouth. Lucas woke up about halfway through this and put his hands on Peyton's waist, carefully pulling her on top of him as he pulled her lips to his. "I could get used to waking up like this," he said when they broke away for air.

Neither of them heard the door open. "Geez, P. Sawyer, aren't you supposed to be taking it easy? You just got out of the hospital a couple of days ago," Brooke's voice startled both of them because neither of them had heard her enter the room. Peyton jumped, causing her to jerk her ribs the wrong way. With a yelp of pain, she fell next to Lucas on the bed, clutching her torso above the broken rib and breathing heavily.

Lucas sat up, carefully helping Peyton lay flat on her back, as Brooke stepped closer to the bed, apologising. Peyton looked at Lucas first. "I think now would be a good time to take my pain pill," she said, and he got out of bed, leaving the room so he could get the pill and something for her to take it with. When Lucas was gone, she turned to Brooke. "It's okay, B. Davis, I'm fine. It's not your fault," she said, cutting off Brooke's apologies.

Lucas came back into the room, holding Peyton's bottle of pain pills and a bottle of water. Peyton sat up, taking the bottle and opening it while he opened the bottle, pouring a pill onto his hand and handing it to her. She threw it in her mouth, swallowed some of the water, then put the lid back onto the water bottle, passing it off to Lucas as she leaned back into the pillows once more.

Peyton had her eyes closed, but she could feel both Brooke and Lucas hovering around the bed, and she could imagine the concerned looks on both of their faces. She sighed, and didn't bother opening her eyes as she spoke. She knew the pain would stop soon. "Relax, both of you. I'll be fine, just as soon as the pain pill kicks in," she told them. Lucas set the water bottle and the pill bottle on Peyton's nightstand and sat next to her, noticing then that he was only wearing boxers, and Brooke was still in the room. He pulled Peyton's blanket over the lower half of his body.

Brooke wasn't even paying attention to Lucas. She was watching Peyton intently. With a sigh, Peyton opened her eyes, staring directly at Brooke. She could tell that Brooke was still blaming herself for the accident, and knew that she needed to talk to Brooke, especially since Brooke was leaving tomorrow, and they hadn't gotten a chance to have a real conversation yet. She glanced over at Lucas. "Could you fix me something to eat?" she asked him, but her eyes told him that she needed alone time with Brooke. Lucas understood and nodded, placing a kiss on her forehead before he stood. "And put some clothes on, mister," she said, her tone becoming more teasing.

Lucas chuckled, but didn't say anything. He pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a shirt before leaving the room, closing the door as he did. Brooke walked around to the other side of the bed and sat down where Lucas had been previously. Peyton's pain was starting to lessen, just a little bit, so she sat up slightly. She was just about to open her mouth, but Brooke didn't need any prompting. "I really am sorry, Peyton," she said. Peyton knew how serious she was, because Brooke never called anyone by their real first name once she had made up a nickname for them.

Peyton sighed, carefully sitting up all the way. She didn't know what to say to convince Brooke that it wasn't her fault. "You listen to me, Brooke, and you listen good," she said sternly, so that Brooke would look at her. When she was sure she had Brooke's complete attention, she continued. "I do not blame you. I was the one trying to jump out of the car. Ah, ah," she made a noise to cut off Brooke's protest. "It's the truth, Brooke, and even if it wasn't, nothing can chage what happened. It was an accident, horrible, yes, but it did happen. Besides, if it hadn't, I wouldn't be where I am now. I would still be an empty shell, and while I do wish it didn't happen, it snapped me out of my stupor, and I'm thankful for that. So think of the good, and stop blaming yourself for things you can't change," Peyton's tone left no room for arguement.

Brooke thought about what Peyton had said. She had never considered it like that before. Maybe it could be considered good, in the end. Peyton was back to being Peyton, and she seemed happier, so she shouldn't feel guilty. She knew the guilt wouldn't completely go away, at least not immediately, but she felt better about the situation now. "I love you, P. Sawyer. I'm glad you're doing better. You heal up quick, hear me, and the next time we see each other, let's not get involved in a car accident, or end up in the hospital for any reason, okay?" she said, a slight smile on her face.

Peyton grinned, nodding. Looking down at her cast, and still feeling the pain that hadn't completely faded yet, she had to agree with that last part. "Yeah, I'm a bit sick of the hospital. Next time we see each other, let's let it be for a happier reason," she said, before giving the bubbly brunette a hug. Peyton could smell good smells coming from the kitchen, so she moved toward the edge of the bed, grabbing her crutches. "Now, I'm going down for breakfast. I have some unfinished business with my boyfriend," she said.

Brooke laughed, but didn't comment on the scene she had walked in on earlier. Peyton left the room, heading down the hallway, stopping in the bathroom to brush her teeth before going downstairs to the kitchen. Brooke left the room as well, going down the hallway in the other direction, headed for the guest room she was sharing with Jake. She had gotten out of bed while he was still sleeping, and she wondered if he had woken up yet. As she slipped into the room, she saw that he was up, packing up the last of their things.

She slipped into the room, sneaking up behind him as his back had been facing the door, and wrapping her arms around his waist, kissing his neck from behind. He dropped the clothes he had been folding and turned in her arms, so he was facing her. As he looked into her eyes, he could tell something was different. "You talk to Peyton," he instantly realized. He had known that she wouldn't be completely okay until she had gotten to talk to Peyton. He could also tell she didn't completely forgive herself yet, but she was on the way there.

She smiled at him, her dimples flashing. She loved how well he knew her. All he had to do was look at her, and he could tell what she was feeling and thinking. He knew her better than anyone else, and she loved that. "I love you," she said simply, instead of replying to his statement. It hadn't been a question anyway, and even if it had been, he knew the answer. She didn't wait for his response. She moved her arms from his waist to his neck, kissing him passionately. He was shocked for a moment, but she felt his arms wrap around her waist as he responded.

She knew exactly why he was a little shocked. She hadn't kissed him once since the accident, actually, she had barely made any contact at all, except what was absolutly necessary. She just kept kissing him, though, pushing him back onto the bed as things got more heated. A little while later, when they had broken apart, both of them breathing heavily, Jake murmured, "We're going to be all right. Everything will be okay." Brooke nodded, silently agreeing with him before crushing her lips to his again. She had to make up for lost time.

In the kitchen, Peyton had pulled herself up onto the counter, next to the sink, propping her crutches up next to her. Lucas was finishing up her breakfast. She began chatting with him as he cooked, thankful for the normalcy. She wasn't looking forward to school tomorrow, but she knew she'd have to face it sometime. She knew she'd make it through the day, only because she knew Lucas would be by her side. With Lucas next to her, she knew she'd be able to get through anything. She looked fondly down at her ring, getting lost in her thoughts and forgetting that they had been in the middle of a conversation.

She was broken out of her thoughts by Lucas, who was standing right in front of her, in between her legs, as he pressed his lips to hers. His hands moved to her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck, forgetting about the pain that was still slowly fading away. When she needed air, she broke away, resting her forehead against his and gently playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, where her hands rested. "What was that for?" she asked when she had regained enough breath to talk.

He grinned back at her, his blue eyes flashing mischeviously. "We were kind of interrupted this morning," he said, his hands on her waist tightening, sliding her even closer to him. "Besides, I've really missed my girlfriend. It's good to have you back, you know?" he became a little more serious, but the smile was still on his face, and in his eyes.

Peyton sighed, but it was a happy sigh. She was perfectly content to stay in Lucas's arms forever. If only that were possible. "It's good to be back," she replied honestly. She realized now exactly how wrong she had been to crawl into her shell as she had. She had almost pushed away Lucas, and everyone else she loved, including Rachel. As if summoned by Peyton's thoughts, Rachel entered the kitchen, sending Peyton a look. "I love you, but you're going to burn my breakfast," she reluctantly let him go, turning him around and pushing him back to the stove.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Your breakfast is already finished, love, and that was why I came over her in the first place. To help you down and to the kitchen table," he said, before doing just that. He carried her into the dining room and sat her down at the table, in front of the plate of food he had made for her. He brought her crutches setting them next to her before going into the kitchen to clean up. Rachel had gone into the dining room, and she was watching Peyton as Lucas left. Neither spoke while Peyton ate, and the silence still hung around them as Lucas re-entered the dining room. "I'm going to head home to change and check in with my mom. Love you," he told Peyton, kissing her on the top of the head before leaving the house.

Peyton called after him, echoing his sentiment as he left the house. Rachel took a seat at the table, watching as Peyton finished her breakfast. "I'm going to stay in Tree Hill," she finally announced, breaking the silence. Peyton looked up, in complete shock, her fork halfway to her mouth. She set her fork down, waiting for Rachel to continue. She had not been expecting this at all, but Rachel sounded completely sure in her decision. "There's no reason for me to go back," she added with a shrug, as if that explained everything.

Peyton sighed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She knew that Rachel wanted to stay because she felt guilty, despite how ricilous it was. She shook her head. "Sorry, you can't stay," she told her simply. Rachel's eyes widened. Peyton continued before she could say anything. "You have to go back, and go to school tomorrow, just like I have to go to school tomorrow. You can't run from your life, Rachel. You do have friends there, and you get to go and graduate with them. It's too late in the year to switch schools now, and if you don't go back soon you won't even get to graduate," she paused, knowing that this wasn't the real issue.

Peyton realized her voice had gotten agitated, and Rachel was staring at her in shock. "This isn't about school, Rachel, and we both know it. You don't want to go back, because you feel guilty for the accident, and you want to be here in case something happens," she said, her voice softer, and Rachel didn't deny it. There was no point in denying the truth at this point. There was a brief silence before Peyton continued. "Well, don't feel guilty. You know why I came back, don't you?" Rachel looked up, with interest. "I knew I had made a mess of my life, and I needed to fix it. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon," she said firmly. "You are, though," she added.

Rachel shook her head. "I know you're right, Peyton, but I feel so bad. I mean, do you realize if it wasn't for the accident, we probably still wouldn't be speaking. I walked out on you, when you needed me the most, and you could have died, and would have never fixed things. I made your saying true. People do always leave," she said sadly, looking down again shamefully.

Peyton shook her head adamantly, reaching across the table to take her best friends hand. "You know, Rach, there's a second half to that saying," she said, surprising Rachel and causing her to look up again. "Sometimes they come back. I didn't realize that then, but it's true. You came back, and Lucas didn't give up on me. You're all here now. Brooke even came back," she said, and then wished she hadn't. Rachel's eyes darkened at the mention of Brooke. "No, don't blame Brooke. The accident was my fault. I was the one trying to jump out of the moving car," she raised her voice to speak over Rachel's protests.

Rachel's voice died as she heard Peyton's admission. She didn't know that Peyton had been trying to jump out of the car. That made her blame Brooke just a bit less, but she still felt worried about Peyton. Peyton sensed that. "It was a horrible accident, but everything is better now. I may be a little battered physically, but things really are better, now, and I won't let you ruin your chance at graduation by staying here. Please, for my state of mind, get on that plane today, and go home. I'll be fine, I really will," she said.

Rachel nodded hesitantly, and neither of them noticed that Lucas was back in the house, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "I'll look after her for you, promise," he spoke, and Peyton looked up to him with a smile that only his presence brought out. He was in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, leaning against the door frame, and if it weren't for her broken leg and ribs, she'd jump him right there. He smiled back, as if reading her thoughts. He walked over toward her and leaned down, but instead of kissing her, he picked up her plate. "Finished with this?" he asked as he straightened, already walking toward the kitchen.

Peyton groaned in disappointment, glaring at Lucas's retreating back. She heard his laughter as he turned on the water. "Tease," she called, before turning to look at Rachel, who was looking down at her hands again. "You are going to go upstairs and pack your stuff right now, missy, then we are going to go to the airport, and you, Brooke and Jake are all going to get on that plane," she said firmly, expecting to get some more protests from her friend.

Rachel looked up at Peyton, nodding, more sure of herself than before. She knew Peyton was right. Besides, she wanted to find what Peyton had with Lucas, and what Haley had with Nathan, and, though she didn't like to admit it, because she disliked Brooke, what Brooke had with Jake. She was realizing that she might even have had it, if she hadn't ruined it already. That was why she had to go home, to see if she might still have it. "You know, I've been seeing someone," she said suddenly, realizing that she hadn't told Peyton yet.

Peyton was a little surprised at the subject change. She kinked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Rachel took that as a cue to continue. "His name's Marvin and he's completely opposite from the guys I usually date, but I think that's what I like about him. He's sweet and kind and smart. Everyone calls him Mouth, don't ask me why. I don't understand why he'd want to be with someone like me, but he does, or, at least, he did. I haven't talked to him since I came here. I don't know if he's moved on our not. I really think I could love him," she explained.

Peyton smiled. She had never seen Rachel get really deep with a guy before, and never the sweet type. Rachel was usually into the bad boy type. She could tell tell that Rachel really cared about this one, though. "Well, if it's meant to be, it'll work out. Just look at me and Lucas. I mean, life has thrown so many things at us, yet, we're still together. You go back and get your man," she said. Rachel smiled at her friend, before going to the room she had been staying in to pack her stuff.

A few hours later, Peyton was standing next to Lucas, leaning on her crutches as she watched her friends plane take off. He moved to stand behind her and she leaned back into him, resting her head on his chest. After a few minutes, Lucas broke the silence. "What's going on in that mind of yours, Blondie?" he asked. Peyton had her ear resting against his throat, and she could feel the vibrations as he spoke.

She turned, looking up at him, pretending that she hadn't just been lost in thought. "Nothing, why?" she asked. He just held her gaze steadily, waiting patiently for her to tell him what was wrong. She sighed, looking away from his searching gaze. "All right. Fine. I guess I'm just worried about tomorrow. I mean, I can barely remember my time at Tree Hill High, but I'm relatively sure I didn't make a good impression. It's almost like my first day all over again, because I try to block out those two months of my life," she told him.

Lucas pulled her close. He had had a feeling that the problem would be something like that. He knew she was worried about what everyone would say about her, and think about her. "It'll be fine, Peyton. Tomorrow's just another day. There's nothing to worry about. You'll do fine. We're almost done there anyway. What does it really matter what these people think? They don't know you, or what you've been through. Just be yourself. I'll be there for support," he paused, seeing that her spirit was lifted a little by that last sentiment, but not completely. "If all that doesn't work, I promise I'll take you home early, okay?" he asked.

Peyton cracked a smile this time, forcing herself to remember that she could get through anything, with Lucas by her side, which he would be. She had four of six classes with him, and the classes she didn't have with him, Haley was in. She could get through it. "Let's get out of here. We still have a full afternoon to finish what we started this morning," she said, a devilish grin now on her face. Lucas grinned back at her before picking her up, holding her carefully as he hurried out of the airport, with her laughing the whole way.

The next morning Lucas let himself into her house early. He just hadn't been able to wait any longer. He didn't hear any noise as he left his bag on the couch, heading up the stairs, and he found it odd that the house was silent. She should be up getting ready for school by now. When he pushed the door open to her room, he realized it was empty. He searched the whole house, but it was useless, she wasn't there. He was just about to get worried when his cell phone beeped, signaling that he had a text. It read: Change of plans. I'll meet you at school. I might be late. Love you. XOXO -Peyt

Lucas tried to call her, but it seemed that after sending the text, she had shut her phone off. He hoped she knew what she was doing, but he knew that she did. Still, he wanted to be there for her. He knew where she'd be, so thats where he headed. He grabbed his backpack and the keys to the Comet before heading to pick Peyton up. He pulled to a stop, and saw her exactly where he had known she would be. He got out of the car and walked over, standing behind her. He was about to open his mouth, but then he saw what she was wearing. She had on a plaid miniskirt and a tight black vintage tee-shirt, underneath her leather jacket. Her hair seemed extra curly this morning, and she had done her make-up perfectly.

Peyton had heard him approach, but was waiting for him to speak. She looked up at him, from where she was on the ground in front of her mother's grave stone, and saw that her was staring at her. She cocked her head to the side and kinked an eyebrow at him, wondering what he was thinking, but deciding to just finish up what she was there for. "So, I guess I should go to school now, Mom, since my ride has arrived. Thanks for the talk. I love you," she looked back up at Lucas, holding her hand out to him. "Well, are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to help me up?" she asked.

He reached out, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet before pulling her into him, kissing her deeply. "You look gorgeous, Blondie," he said in explanation when they broke the kiss. She blushed, smiling at him, before bending to pick up her crutches. She winced slightly, and he noticed. "You took your pain medication this morning right?" he asked, concerned for her.

Peyton straightened, nodding. "Yeah, it just hasn't kicked in yet. I'll be fine," she said, smiling reassuredly. She used her crutches to move over to Grace's grave. "So, I guess I'll see you later. I got a handsome man waiting for me," she smiled slyly over at Lucas before saying her goodbyes to Grace. As she moved toward him, she asked, "You do have a car, right? I don't think I'll be able to get to school with only my crutches?" He raised an eyebrow at her, taking her bag as she struggled with it and her crutches. "I guess I didn't think over my plan this morning very well," she answered his look, rolling her eyes.

A couple hours later, they were sitting in the lunchroom, at a table with Haley, Nathan, and some of their other friends. Peyton was really trying to stay in the conversation, to almost everyone's surprise, but she kept getting distracted by Lindsey, who was sitting on Lucas's other side, flirting shamelessly with him, ignoring Peyton completely, despite the fact that Lucas was practically ignoring all of her advances. Peyton leaned across the table to whisper to Haley. "Is she always like this? It's like I'm not even here?" she said to her friend.

Haley shrugged, glancing at Lindsey, who had placed her hand on Lucas's arm while she laughed at a joke he had told the rest of the table, and he uncomfortably shifted, moving his arm out from under her hand. She looked back to Peyton. "Well, since you've come to school, it's almost been like you weren't here. To be honest, she's been like that almost all year. He's always ignored it, though," she sounded apologetic, and spoke quickly to defend Lucas, but that didn't stop Peyton from thinking about the words, even when Haley turned to converse with her husband.

Throughout the whole day, Peyton was shown time and time again exactly how much of a zombie she'd been since she had started Tree Hill High. Everyone else seemed shocked that she even had a voice, and when she raised her hand in class, the teachers looked surprised that she was there. She decided she had to change things. She spent the day speaking up as much as possible, even though she wasn't really sure what was going on in the classes. She vowed to go to Haley for help. Surely after a few tutoring sessions, she'd be caught up.

Her biggest annoyance, though, was Lindsey. She caught up with Lucas between almost every class, talking to him, flirting with him and flipping her hair, and completely ignoring Peyton. When the end of the day came, Peyton had her last class without Lucas. They had decided to meet at her locker, so she was on her way there, when she spotted Lindsey, and decided to take care of the pesky problem. "Hey, Lindsey," she called out, getting the brunettes attention.

Lindsey turned around, coming back toward Peyton, a bit of a confused look on her face, which she hid quickly. She stopped in front of Peyon, but Peyton didn't give her the chance to open her mouth before she started speaking. "Listen, slut, you need to stop flirting with my boyfriend. I realize I might have been out of it recently, but I am back to normal now, and I don't like what I'm seeing. You left him, and gave him up, so stop trying to get him back, because in case you haven't noticed, he doesn't want you. I'm only going to be nice about this once, so listen good. In case you haven't noticed from all the months he's spent ignoring you, he's with me now, and we're in love, and I treat him right, so unless you want me to mess up your face, you better stay away and keep your hands off my man," she said firmly.

There was silence because Lindsey was speechless. Peyton spotted Lucas over Lindsey's shoulder, so she moved past Lindsey, to Lucas, who took her bag for her. He had an amused look on his face. As they walked toward the lockers, and then toward the Comet, he stayed silent. "You know, you're extremely hot when you're telling someone off," he finally commented on the scene he had witnessed. Peyton had been waiting for him to tell him whether or not he had heard.

She looked sheepishly up at him, biting her lip. Then she decided she wasn't embarrassed by it, especially when she saw how amused he was. She shrugged, putting her crutches in the back and then getting in the passenger seat of the car. "Well, the slut deserves to know that she can't give you up over the summer, and then expect you to come crawling back to her, especially since you're with me now. She can't just flirt with you right in front of me and expect me not to do anything," she said, irritably as she noticed Lucas's smile widening. "Okay I was jealous," she admitted, letting him hear her say what he had been waited for her to admit. "Let's just go home, and maybe I'll let you stay so we can do homework together," she said, seductively as she changed the subject. He agreed, putting the car in drive and heading for her house.

A/N: Okay, so I managed to get this updated. Yay me! I still feel like crap, but there's only one chapter left of this, which will be the epilogue. I'm trying to decide what I'm going to do with it, but once I do, I should have it up fairly soon, though I'm not making any promises. I could probably drag this out longer, but I really don't want to. I think this'll be a good place to end it. I will put up the epilogue of this before I do anything else though, so it should be up this week. I have to say, I did have fun with this, and thanks for all your support. I really did love reading every review I got, which was over 200, and the most reviews I've gotten for any single fic. Thanks for that. I'm done babbling now. I've got to get to bed.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, and I never will. 


	30. EpilogueFive Years Later

Peyton was on the phone when she heard the door open. She quickly finished up her call with her newest prospect, when she noticed that it was Lucas who had come in. As she set the phone back on the hook, she smiled at him. "So, tell me what happened?" she asked, standing up and walking around the desk. He was just standing there, an emotionless look on his face, and she began to get impatient as she waited on his answer. He had had an meeting today, and she had spent all day wondering how it had gone.

Lucas's face suddenly broke into a wide grin and Peyton already knew the result. She ran the last few steps, jumping into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He caught her, his hands on her hips as he tried to keep steady. "They're publishing my book," he told her, just for clarification, and because he really liked saying the words. He didn't get another word out, though, before Peyton's lips crashed down on his.

A few moments later, he slowly lowered her to the ground and she stood on her own two feet. Peyton looked up at him, a big grin on her face. She was amazed at how much had changed in five years. "That's amazing Lucas, it really is. I told you that it was good," she said, kissing him again. "We have to go home and get ready for tonight, but we will celebrate later," she continued in a seductive voice to make up for the fact that she broke away a second time.

Lucas grumbled under his breath, but the smile on his face took away from the effect he had wanted. He waited as she shut down her laptop, putting it away, and did everything else she had to do to leave her office for the night. When she was finished she met Lucas at the door, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers as the left the building, making sure the door was locked. "How was your day?" he asked, as they walked to his car. To save on gas, Lucas just dropped her off at the office every morning when he went to work, and he'd pick her when practice was over.

Peyton bit her lip, trying to think of the proper reply, but thankfully, they reached the car then, and she didn't have to answer right away. She couldn't tell him the thing that immediately came to mind when she thought about all that had happened since he had dropped her off that morning, because she wasn't ready for that yet, but she could tell him something else that had happened. "Mia started her new tour, and my label signed a new band today," she said once they were both in the car and settled, but her mind went over the memory that she couldn't share with him yet.

FLASHBACK

Peyton Rachel and Haley were holed up in the bathroom at the office of Peyton's label. Peyton also had Brooke on the phone with her, because she couldn't make it through the next few moments without all three of her best friends, and Brooke was getting things ready for later. Peyton was pacing, biting her lip and she kept running a hand through her unruly curly hair. Haley had her hands resting on her now large stomach, and Rachel was fiddling with her wedding ring, a habit she had started in the two months since she had gotten married.

The three of them heard the wail of a baby over the phone. Rachel's head jerked up and she looked at the phone, which was laying on the counter on speaker. "I though Jake was taking baby Rachel to work with him today? If I had known you had her I would be at the shop with you," she said, sounding a little irritated, but they all knew she was faking it. Brooke hadn't actually named her daughter Rachel, but her middle name was Rachel, to show how much the redhead and brunette had matured over the years, and Rachel preferred to call her baby Rachel, instead of Elizabeth, which was the first name.

The two really had become good friends, and Rachel now modeled for Brooke's clothing line, when she wasn't too busy with her interior decorating business. Brooke was opening up her third store, in Tree Hill. She already had one in L.A. and one in New York, but when she had gotten married, and then pregnant with Elizabeth, she had decided to move back home, and open up a store, but she had only started renovating the place recently, because she had wanted to wait until after the baby was born, and Rachel's wedding had been not too long after that.

Brooke scoffed on her end of the line, though not loudly, because she was still trying to get her four month old to quiet down. "Don't blame me, blame Peyton. It was her label that sent my husband to that important meeting, where he wasn't allowed to bring baby girl," she huffed, but her voice softened at the last two words, and they heard the wails slow and stop.

Peyton had continued pacing, ignoring the talking and checking her watch every few seconds. These were the most tense moments of her life, and she had been in this situation once before. She wasn't as scared this time, though. Now she was just wondering if this would cause Lucas to finally propose to her. She had never thought she'd be one to welcome marriage, but all their friends were married and she was kind of wondering if he was ever going to ask her to marry him. She hadn't been ready for a future the last time she had been in this situation. Now she was completely ready, and she wanted everything. She just wasn't sure if he wanted it anymore, and that was what scared her.

With a sigh, Peyton checked the time once more, and she saw that it was finally time. She stopped in her tracks, looking over to the counter, where the stick that could change her life rested on the counter. Haley noticed and she walked over to Peyton, looping her arm through the blonde's. Rachel saw the movement and she silently made her way to Peyton's other side. Both of them squuezed Peyton's hand lightly, letting her know they were there as the three made their way to the counter, none of them saying a word.

When they made it, Peyton dropped their hands, reaching out to pick up the pregnancy test with two hands, and lifting it up so the three of them could see the result. There was complete silence for a long moment, then Peyton dropped it, letting out a swear word. "Oh, my gosh," she said and her emotions were such a jumbled mess, she couldn't tell what she was feeling, or what she wanted to be feeling.

Brooke, over the phone, couldn't see what the result was, of course. "Hey, guys, don't leave me hanging. Are there going to be two baby Scotts on the way, or what?" she asked, referring to the fact that Haley was currently pregnant with a Scott and Peyton could be pregnant with a Scott, though they would both be from different fathers, of course. Brooke was agitated that she couldn't be there with her three best friends, and she was agitated with the slow construction workers, and that seeped into her voice a bit, but no one noticed.

Haley was now standing in front of Peyton, helping her to breath deeply as she swallowed the news, so Rachel was the one who had to answer. "I'm going to be a godmother," Rachel answered that way, and both of them squealed in excitement for a moment before they began playfully arguing about who Peyton would ask to be godmother.

Peyton was able to calm herself enough to decipher the emotion she was feeling the most. She broke into a wide grin, pulling Haley into a hug, and then the two of them pulled Rachel in as well, making it a group hug. Over the phone, when Brooke realized what they were doing, she demanded that she get a group hug when they were all together tonight. Then the smile slipped off of Peyton's face as quickly as it had arrived. "How am I going to tell Lucas?" she spoke, allowing the fear to take over.

END FLASHBACK

Brooke had had to get off the phone shortly after that, allowing Rachel and Haley to take over. The three women had deliberated for about another half hour before Haley had to leave so she could get back to the High School before lunch was over. She was a teacher there, and even though Lucas was a teacher-as well as the coach-there as well and they often saw each other at school, she had promised Peyton she wouldn't tell him before leaving. Soon after Haley left, Rachel had to leave as well, saying she wanted to go visit the baby.

Now, here she was, and she didn't know how to give him the news. She decided that, in light of the party tonight, she'd wait to tell him. She didn't want to get a bad reaction, and have it ruin everything they were celebrating. There was definately a lot to celebrate. The success of Peyton's label, including her two favorite artists, Jake Jagelski and Haley James Scott. Haley didn't tour like Jake did, but she had a few albums out, and she performed when Peyton asked her to. Haley loved to sing, but it was just a side thing. She preferred teaching, and staying home with her three year old daughter, Jackie, and the one on the way. They hadn't learned the sex of the baby yet, even though she was eight months along, but they wanted to wait and be surprised.

Also, the friends were celebrating Brooke's success. She had a major clothing line, and a magazine and basically a whole fashion empire. It still surprised Brooke sometimes, when she was out with her friends, or just buying groceries, and someone was wearing clothes from her line, or someone came up to her, and asked for her autograph. She was used to it happening to Jake, but it was something different entirely when it happened to her.

Rachel was also beginning to be known, though on a slightly smaller scale. She had decorated the homes of almost everyone in Tree Hill, and she had also done a lot of homes in the surrounding areas. It had really surprised her though, when one of the artists signed onto Peyton's label had come to her, asking her to decorate their home. That had been almost a year ago, and since then, her business had really seemed to pick up, as Peyton referred every artist on her label to Rachel. Her husband, Mouth, had also started mentioning her on TV. He was a sportscaster at the local news station. Since then, Rachel really had more work than she knew what to do with.

Lucas noticed how quiet Peyton was being, but didn't push it. The past five years had been good overall, but that didn't mean there hadn't been bad days. There had been fights, and days when Peyton wouldn't talk to him, and days when he just couldn't open his mouth without saying the wrong thing. He knew that when she was quiet she was thinking, and it was best not to interrupt her. He knew she'd liven up when they got to the party, so he decided not to push it, for now. Besides, he had plenty to think about as well.

Peyton noticed how quiet he was being, but decided against asking him about it, because she wasn't ready to have a heart-to-heart right then, or she might just spill the news without meaning to. When they made it back to their place, Peyton headed for the bathroom, so she could take a shower. When she came out a little while later, a towel wrapped around her and her hair dripping, she headed for the bedroom, straight towards her closet as she tried to pick out something to wear. She was moving clothes around, not paying attention to anything else, when she felt arms snake around her waist, and lips on her neck.

For a moment, Peyton let herself get lost in Lucas's kisses. Then she spotted the clock. She grabbed her towel, which he had been trying to subtly remove, and tightened it once more, pushing him away. "I've got to get dressed. We've got to go. We're going to be late," she said, kissing him one more time before pushing him away, turning back to her closet, and grabbing the dress she had chosen. She let the towel go, and then pulled on the dress, asking Lucas to zip it up before she moved to look at it in the mirror.

The dress had spaghetti straps, and was a black silky material, which hugged her torso in all the right ways, while the A-line skirt flowed down to her knees. It was covered in green stars of all sizes, which matched her eyes. It was made for her personally, by Brooke, and she looked gorgeous in it. After checking herself in the mirror, she blow dryed her hair, pulling half of it up, but leaving a few stray curls to frame her face. She did her make-up quickly, putting on some concealer, eyeliner, mascara and some lip gloss. As she walked to her closet to pick out her shoes, she noticed Lucas staring at her.

She picked up her black wedges and walked back to the bed, sitting down next to Lucas so she could put on her shoes. He was wearing a pair of nice black pants, and a blue button up shirt, that brought out his eyes. His hair was getting long and a bit shaggy, and he kept saying he was going to get it cut, but Peyton liked his hair long, so she kept making him put it off. She had been about to ask him what he was staring at as she turned to look at him, but she was caught up in his deep blue eyes, and her mind went blank for a moment.

After a moment, Peyton was finally able to collect her thoughts. "Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, watching as he stood up, standing in front of her and pulling her to her feet before kissing her. She pulled away, sitting down again and putting on her shoes before standing back up. He had raised an eyebrow at her in question. She pulled him in for another kiss before answering. "Now we're the same height," she explained, grabbing her purse off of the bed, and her leather jacket off the chair she had thrown it on as they left the house.

They were the last ones to arrive at Tric, the only night club in Tree Hill. They had rented it out for the night, so only their friends were inside. As soon as they were inside, Brooke came rushing at her, hugging her tightly. She noticed Lucas staring at them, so she pulled Peyton off to the side to talk. "Oh, P. Saywer, this is so awesome. You have to have a boy, so my daughter and your son can get married when they grow up," she gushed, smiling widely as Rachel and Haley walked over.

Haley heard the comment and looked over at Brooke, an eyebrow raised. "I thought you said your daughter was going to marry my son?" her voice was amused as she questioned Brooke, who just shrugged it off. Brooke mumbled something about not being able to count on Haley to have a son. Haley just ignored her, turning to Peyton instead. "Have you told him yet, girly?" she asked, following Peyton's gaze across the room. She was staring at Lucas, of course.

Peyton shook herself out of her reverie and realized that all three of her friends were staring at her. Rachel repeated Haley's question, but they all knew the answer before Peyton even spoke. "Not yet," she said, looking down at her feet. "I guess I'm just worried, that it'll make him feel like he has to ask me to marry him. If he's not ready, I don't want to force him into anything, you know? I'll tell him soon, though," she added quickly. She knew she couldn't put it off too long, because she had already decided to keep it, of course, but she would rather not tell him just yet.

The other three listened to her explanation, then burst into laughter. Peyton shot them annoyed looks, waiting for them to start laughing, and crossed her arms in front of her chest, giving them a death glare. "Sorry, Peyt, but, do you hear yourself? Do you honestly believe Lucas would feel forced into marrying you? This is the guy who proposed while we were still seniors. You're the only one to blame for the fact that you aren't married yet," Rachel finally managed to say when she stopped laughing.

Peyton thought it over, realizing that Rachel did have a point. She didn't have a chance to respond, though, because Jake, Nathan, Mouth and Lucas were all headed over. The group stood together, chatting for a minute, until a certain song came on, and Peyton dragged Lucas out to the dance floor. "Who knew Peyton Sawyer was a Celine Dion fan," Lucas joked, as he pulled Peyton into his arms. Peyton didn't respond, as she listened to the lyrics to the song.

For all those times you stood by me For all the truth that you made me see For all the joy you brought to my life For all the wrong that you made right For every dream you made come true For all the love I found in you I'll be forever thankful baby You're the one who held me up Never let me fall You're the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith cause you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly You touched my hand I could touch the sky I lost my faith, you gave it back to me You said no star was out of reach You stood by me and I stood tall I had your love I had it all I'm grateful for each day you gave me Maybe I don't know that much But I know this much is true I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith cause you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me

You were always there for me The tender wind that carried me A light in the dark shining your love into my life You've been my inspiration Through the lies you were the truth My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith cause you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me

You were my strength when I was weak You were my voice when I couldn't speak You were my eyes when I couldn't see You saw the best there was in me Lifted me up when I couldn't reach You gave me faith cause you believed I'm everything I am Because you loved me

I'm everything I am Because you loved me

When the song was over, Peyton looked up at Lucas. "It's the truth, you know. You're my everything, and I honestly wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. It hasn't always been easy, there have definately been some hard times, but we made it, together. I love you, Lucas Scott," she felt the need to tell him that, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss.

When they broke away, Lucas held her close, knowing that he wanted to be with her forever. "I love you too, Peyton Sawyer, and I'm never going to stop. You're right, we've gone through some rough times, and I know there will be some hard times in the future, but there's no one I'd rather live my life with," he paused, lost in thought for a moment, as he stared at her. "Marry me," he finally added.

Peyton's eyes widened as she heard those last two words. "Who told you?" she asked, and Lucas just looked at her, a little confused. "Who told you I'm pregnant?" she clarified, and she watched as his eyes widened, knowing that she had just spilled her own secret. She smiled sheepishly up at him. "Uh, surprise," she bit her lip, waiting for his reaction. "I just found out today," she defended herself, as his mouth opened. She had known that he was going to ask when she had found out.

Lucas stayed silent for a moment, contemplating. He looked at her, expectantly, but, for once, Peyton wasn't sure what he was expecting. "Well, are you going to marry me, or not?" he asked, still waiting for a reply. She kinked her eyebrow at him. "Okay, I know that proposal wasn't exactly the most romantic thing ever, but I meant it, Peyton. I want to marry you, and spend the rest of my life with you. You're it for me, Peyton, and having our dreams come true, together, I realize that I have one dream that hasn't come true yet, and that's being married to you. So what do you say, Peyton, will you marry me?" he asked, watching her face as he spoke to gauge her reaction.

Peyton nodded, grinning happily before throwing herself into Lucas's arms, kissing him passionately. "Yes, I'll marry you. Of course I'll marry you," she said when they broke the kiss, as if he needed any clarification about her answer. Lucas reached down, taking the simple diamond ring that they had dubbed a promise ring five years ago, and putting it back onto the third finger of her left hand, where it belonged. Then he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "I'm going to love you forever, Lucas Scott," she declared, looking down at the ring, and then looking up again, green eyes meeting blue.

A/N: Okay, I thought that was a good place to end it. I don't really have any more ideas for this fic, and I think they've gone through enough drama. I do have ideas for other fics, though, which I'll be happy to start, though I think I'm going to focus on the other two I have going right now, before I start something new. Tell me what you think of the ending. Oh, and the song in this chapter was 'Because You Loved Me," by Celine Dion. I'm sad this is over, but it was time. Thanks to everyone who read it and reviewed it. I've gotten more reviews for this fic than for any other fic to date, so thanks for that.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or 'Because You Loved Me,' by Celine Dion. Actually, I don't own anything, but y'all know that by now, right? 


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